The Heart of The Family
by Rochelle Templer
Summary: A journey into the childhood of our resident psychologist and baby duck...Rated T to be safe.
1. Years Zero,Despair

Author's Note:

Well here it is, my very first fanfiction....hopefully it works out.

Much has been written about Sweets' background in regards to the abuse he suffered as a child. But not as much has been mentioned about the "loving, wonderful people" who adopted him and the life he had with them. This story explores that.

Warning: Heavy angst and fluff.

Updates will be slow at first. I have about half the story written out, but I need to research and revise to improve future chapters. Oh and of course, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Years Zero--Despair

Lance Jensen never could remember his mother.

His father, Andrew Jensen, mentioned her once in a while. Usually it was accompanied by an angry look or numerous curse words. Often his father seemed furious with a photo in a cheap, plastic frame of a woman with large, brown eyes and long, wavy hair that fell past her shoulders. Andrew would lay the frame flat so that the picture could not be seen most of the time. Then one day he picked the picture up and smashed it, frame and all, into bits and threw it into the fireplace, burning it. As Lance watched the pieces of the photo curl and crackle in the fire, he wondered if that woman was his mother.

However, he didn't wonder about it much, because that night his father threw him into the closet and didn't let him out for two days. Right after he broke Lance's wrist.

At four years old, Lance already knew a lot of things.

He knew that crying, yelling or screaming would not get him out of that closet any sooner. He knew that eventually he would be let out and they would see a doctor—never the same one twice—to fix his injuries. He knew it was best to keep his mouth shut and let Andrew say whatever he wanted to the hospital staff, no matter how big a lie it was. He knew that when he got home afterwards, he would have to clean up any sort of mess he might have made in the closet if he wanted a chance to eat again or to even be allowed to hide out in his room.

He knew that life was simply this repeating cycle of pain, isolation, and humiliation.

Lance tried to find simple joys. He found that he enjoyed watching people. He would spend long periods of time staring out of windows, watching people interact with each other. He often wondered who these people were and what they were feeling. He would watch television if his father wasn't home, but he didn't dare do that when his father was there. Lance did anything he could to stay out of his way. One of his father's girlfriends took the time to teach Lance to read because she thought he was 'a little doll'. Her crude lessons led to Lance being able to read books for elementary students at age four. He loved to read and relished the times he could find a book to savor.

It was usually Andrew's girlfriends that took care of Lance. At the very least they would try to cook him decent meals—otherwise it was cereal and microwave dinners for him—and some of them would buy him some clothes or toys. Lance would often spend most of his time under the cot he slept on. He played there and tried to read his books there. Sometimes he even slept there. Anything to keep him out of his father's sight.

The worst times were when Andrew didn't have a girlfriend. Then all his attention was on Lance and that was never a good thing for very long. Either he got upset with Lance for the slightest infraction or his father blamed him for his woman troubles.

"No good woman would want to look after a stupid kid like you," he would shout. "You're worthless."

It didn't take long for Lance to believe it himself. _'Why am I here? Other kids' daddies love them. But not mine. Why doesn't Daddy love me? What did I do wrong?'_ He tried hard to not cry when these thoughts filled his head. When he did cry, it often led to his father finding ways to 'give him something to _really_ cry about.'

After a while he learned to not cry anymore. At least not while his father was around. He would grind his teeth, hold his breath, or even bite his lip until it started to bleed while his father punished him. But he would not cry.

"You're a messed up kid," Andrew would mumble when he was done with Lance. What Andrew didn't know was that Lance would still cry. He just waited until he was back under his cot or when he was locked in the closet. When he was alone, he would let the tears come.

Lance knew vaguely that soon he would be turning five years old. It was nothing to look forward to. It was just another way of marking time. While many children felt like time stretched out endlessly in front of them, Lance knew his time was running out. Among all the things that he knew that was perhaps the scariest one.

But a part of him was beginning to wonder if he really cared about that at all.


	2. Year Zero, Disruption

Author's Note: This chapter came out a lot easier than I thought it would, thus the quick update. Oh, I maybe should have mentioned this in the first chapter, but this will be quite a long story.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I really hope you enjoy it.

I still don't own Bones or any of its characters. Shocking huh?

Warning: Some descriptions of child abuse.

Year Zero—Disruption

Lauren MacArthur sighed as she watched a child read a book across the room from her. It had been six months since she responded to an anonymous phone call about a possible abused child. Now the social worker was watching Lance Jensen bury himself into yet another book while sitting here in the orphanage. She thought back to the day she met him.

The first thing she noticed was that he seemed so small, so frail. He was lying in a closet on the floor, clad only in a pair of underwear. He was shaking and tears ran down his face silently. Lauren was sickened to discover numerous welts and bruises covering the boy's body with the scariest thing being the long, bloody cuts along his shoulder blades. She tried to touch him, but he would scream at her and draw back. Eventually after several minutes of kind words and assurances, he let her help him out of the closet and onto a gurney. She covered Lance with a blanket and walked with him to the waiting ambulance outside. Lauren barely heard the shouts of a man being led away by the cops that kept saying 'I didn't do anything' over and over. She held the boy's hand as she rode with him to the hospital. Lauren tried to get him to tell her his name, but Lance wouldn't say a word. He passed out along the way.

At first they didn't know if he would survive. The doctors informed her that the boy was malnourished and running a fever along with his injuries. The cuts on his back hadn't made him lose a lot of blood, but in his weakened condition, it became a serious issue.

"If you had found him one day later, we'd be talking about this boy in the past tense," the doctor informed Lauren. Fortunately, Lance healed steadily from his injuries, but he developed an infection that blossomed in pneumonia. He ended up staying in the hospital for a month. During that time, Lauren visited him every day she could, when she wasn't working on his case.

Lauren was able to track down his birth certificate. She found out his name was Lance Jensen and that he was five years old. He was the child of one Andrew Jensen, the man the police had dragged away that night, and Lillian Place. Andrew was now in jail for what he did to Lance along with a few other charges. Lillian was nowhere to be found. There seemed to be no other family to take Lance in. Lauren made arrangements for Lance to be placed into the foster system as soon as he got better since she knew there was no way he could ever go back to Andrew.

Meanwhile Lance finally pulled through and was released from the hospital. Lauren took him to the local orphanage to stay for a day or two while she made the final arrangements for him to be placed with a foster family.

The day she took him to the orphanage, Lance finally spoke to her.

"Lauren, thank you," Lance whispered. "Thank you for taking me away from there."

Lauren couldn't help but smile at the sound of his voice.

"You're welcome Lance, but it's ok. You didn't deserve to be there. I promise we'll find you a better home. With people who will love you."

"Daddy didn't love me. Did he?" Lance's eyes filled with tears. Lauren shook her head, her grey eyes sad.

"No sweetie, I don't think he did. I'm sorry," Lauren said. "He should have never treated you that way. It wasn't right."

"Why?" Lance asked as tears finally slid down his cheeks. "What did I do wrong? Why didn't he love me?"

"I don't know why he did what he did, but it wasn't your fault, ok? It wasn't." Lauren tried to hold Lance, but he backed away from her touch. She ended up holding his hand instead while he cried.

"It's going to be ok, Lance," she said. "It will get better, I promise." Lauren reached over with her other hand and began to stroke his dark, wavy hair. After a couple of moments, Lance pulled away from her and wiped his face. He then looked at Lauren, his round, brown eyes solemn.

"It's all right Lauren. I know no one wants me. Thanks for being nice." Lauren tried to protest as she walked Lance into the orphanage, but he didn't seem to listen to her.

Unfortunately, the boy's words proved to be prophetic.

After hearing about Lance's past, most foster homes would decline to take him in saying that they weren't able to care for a 'special needs' child. The places that would accept him never kept him longer than a few weeks. 'He's too difficult' was always the complaint. Lance would barely speak to any of the foster parents and would spend a good deal of time hiding. He wouldn't let anyone touch him and would usually wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying. After a while of this, the foster homes would send Lance back to the orphanage. Soon Lance was spending most of his time there.

Adoption didn't seem like a likely option either. Most people looking to adopt wanted infants. At five years old, Lance was well past that age. Plus, once prospective parents found out about his past, they were scared away. It didn't help that Lance would speak to or even look at most of the parents who visited the orphanage.

Now six months later, Lauren had had no success in finding a home for Lance. He stayed at the orphanage almost full time now. During this time he turned six years old. Lauren smiled sadly when she remembered his birthday. She knew when it was from his birth certificate, so she decided to surprise him with a birthday cupcake and a present. He had been surprised by the gesture and informed her that he had never celebrated his birthday before.

"Never?"Lauren asked. Lance shook his head.

"No," he said. "But thank you for the present." Lauren had gotten him another book; she had also given him one for Christmas, which apparently he had never celebrated before either.

Lauren's mind drifted back to the present when she felt a hand brush hers. She looked down to see Lance standing next to her, the book she had given him in his hands.

"Hi, Lauren," he whispered. "What are you thinking about?" Lauren smiled at him.

"I was thinking about your birthday. I see you have almost finished the book I gave you," she said gesturing toward the book he was holding. "I just got that for you a couple of weeks ago."

"I love to read," Lance shrugged. He looked down at the floor and shuffled back and forth. "Lauren?"

"What is it?"

"Remember on my birthday, you said that if I could blow out that candle, I would get my birthday wish?"

"I remember," Lauren nodded. Lance fidgeted for a moment more before looking up.

"Do you…do you think I'll get it? I mean I asked for…"

"Shhh," Lauren said, holding a finger to her lips. "Don't tell me what it was. If you tell anyone your birthday wish, it won't come true." Lance's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I wished for…"

"I'm sure," Lauren interrupted. "Your wish will come true, Lance. Trust me." Her words came out thick and forced. She was pretty sure she knew what he had wished for. A home. A family to take care of him. But after the conversation she had with the director of the orphanage this morning, she knew his chances of having that wish come true had become even dimmer.

'_Mrs. MacArthur, it's clear to see that the boy is deeply disturbed. We've had him evaluated twice now. There is very little improvement.'_

'_Of course he has problems,' Lauren shot back. 'You saw my reports. I was there. That boy went through something many adults couldn't handle.' _

'_Exactly. Which is why we can't keep him anywhere he is placed. No one can handle him.'_

'_No…you're wrong. Lance may be hurting…but he's special. Can't you see that? He can read books well past his age and he understands them. He writes these little stories about the people around him. He's so creative.'_

'_Yes, yes the therapist who evaluated him did mention that he was quite gifted. But he has so many issues…'_

'_I know he behaves here,' Lauren said. 'He minds the rules and doesn't get into any problems with the other children.'_

'_But he still has severe sleep disturbances, panic attacks, and occasionally tries to hurt himself. He won't speak to most people or let them touch him. He won't play with or even associate with the other children. He refuses to even try to fit into the families he is placed with.'_

'_What are you thinking of doing?' Lauren asked, her eyes narrowing._

'_It has been suggested that we consider…some time in an institution.'_

'_No. No, you can't do that to him. A place like that…it would destroy him.'_

'_The boy needs help. He needs…'_

'_He needs a home,' Lauren interrupted. 'He needs a family who will take care of him and love him. Putting him in a place like that…_

'_Ideally we would prefer to have a family take care of him, but you and I both know that that is looking increasingly unlikely. We have tried, Mrs. MacArthur. We really have. So have you.'_

'_When…when will you…'_

'_I couldn't tell you. It is being discussed right now. Believe me we do not make this proposal lightly, but we are running out of options. I can tell you that it will be a couple more months before we can make any definite plans. I suggest that you continue to work to find him a place, in the meantime.'_

Lauren had left the director's office angry. While she went to find Lance, however, she began to feel defeated, heavy with sorrow. She had worked in Social Services for twenty years, and while she was never completely able to block out her feelings from child abuse cases, this case tore at her heart like few others had. She was sure that the abuse Lance had suffered had been brutal, even though Lance refused to talk about what happened to him. But despite all that there was still this spark in his eyes. The spark of intelligence, of creativity, of great warmth. It was usually hidden behind deep sadness, but it was still there. '_He could grow up to be someone amazing_,' Lauren thought to herself. '_If someone took the time to care_.'

After visiting with Lance for a while, she went back to her office and looked over her case files. '_Those other families…they meant well, but they just weren't right for Lance_.' Lauren sighed in frustration. '_I need to find a special family. An exceptional one. A family who could see him for what he truly is.' _Lauren put her head down onto her arms, her eyes growing moist. '_Where am I going to find a family like that?'_

"Lauren, are you ok? What's wrong?'

Lauren looked up and gave a slight smile in spite of the tears in her eyes. Standing in the doorway of her office was a small petite woman with light grey-blue eyes and sandy blond hair that was mixed with grey. She had a look of concern on her face. Lauren dabbed at her eyes. She was glad to see this woman, a person who cared deeply for others and who could always cheer her up.

"Carolyn Sweets. It's been so long. I'm so glad to see you."


	3. Year One, Beginning, part 1

Author's note: Looking back I see that I said I would be updating slowly at first. Guess I was wrong about that...

This section will be split into two parts due to its length. That will probably happen in the future too. I originally wrote all this out long hand and I'm still adjusting to how it turns out on the computer as I type and revise it...

Once again a huge thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. Glad to see someone is enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it.

I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. *sigh*

Year One—Beginning

"So what's it been now, a year since I've seen you?" Lauren asked between bites of salad. Carolyn sat across from her at a tiny table in the cafe near Lauren's office. She sipped slowly at some soup.

"Yes, David finished his project in California and now we are back to stay," she answered. "We had nothing to keep us there." Lauren put her fork down and put her hand on Carolyn's wrist. She knew what that statement meant.

"Carolyn…were you not able to…did the adoption…?" Carolyn nodded.

"Yes, it didn't go through. She decided at the last minute to keep the baby," she answered. "The agency did not want to consider us again. They said we were too old to adopt an infant." Lauren patted Carolyn's wrist gently.

"I'm sorry," Lauren said. In the back of her mind, however, Lauren understood the agency's position. David and Carolyn Sweets were kind, intelligent people with plenty of stability and financial means to raise a child. But David was 52 years old and Carolyn was 50 and they had never had children. Lauren knew it would be difficult for them to adopt.

"David was so disappointed," Carolyn continued. "The baby… the baby was a boy. You know how he has always wanted a son. We were both devastated, but I think David was hurt even more." Lauren nodded. She had met the Sweets ten years ago at a party of a mutual friend of hers and Carolyn's. She and Carolyn had hit it off almost instantly, and Lauren knew David was right for Carolyn immediately. He was tall and broad-shouldered with intense green eyes and light brown hair. He was outgoing and friendly, a natural leader. But what struck Lauren the most was how sharp David's mind seemed and how gentle he was. Carolyn confessed to her that he had a large heart that she continued to be amazed by. Lauren came to realize over the years that while he was a strong man, David could be hurt rather deeply.

"Carolyn, I'm so sorry. I know it hurts, but please don't give up," Lauren said, giving Carolyn's wrist one more squeeze before letting it go. "I know the two you would make wonderful parents." Carolyn nodded and smiled.

"It's all right Lauren, really," she said. "I'm more worried about you. What's wrong? Is it Bill? I know in your last letter…"

"No Bill is fine," Lauren said, cutting her off. Truthfully, her husband was far from Lauren's mind at the moment. "It's this case I'm working on," she continued. "It's so heart-breaking."

"Is it the one you were telling me about? The one with the boy in the closet?"

"Yes, the same one," Lauren answered. "Carolyn…I've seen some horrible things on this job. I've met children with horror stories that are almost unspeakable. But this child…he's been through so much and yet he's still so… different, so special. But it's like nothing can go right for him." Lauren picked at the remainders of her salad absently with her fork. "Today the director of the orphanage that's in charge of him told me that they want to put him into an institution. Carolyn, he'll never recover if they do that."

"It's terrible, what some people can do to children," Carolyn nodded.

"I promised him that I would find a home for him," Lauren said, shaking her head. "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I just couldn't help myself." Carolyn moved her chair closer to Lauren and put her arm around her.

"I know you are trying as hard as you can," Carolyn soothed. "You're good at your job, so I know you are doing your best. And I don't think it's wrong that you promised him. It's not a mistake to let yourself care for someone." She gave Lauren's shoulders a firm squeeze.

"Thank you Carolyn," Lauren smiled. "You always know what to say. You're a good friend." Carolyn gave a weak smile.

"Well what we need is for you to convince someone that we'd make good parents too," she said, lifting her spoon to finish her soup. Lauren nodded. Then a flash of inspiration hit her and she looked up, her face brightening.

"Hey, I could vouch for you at the orphanage I work with," she said. "I'm sure they still have your paperwork. You could…" Carolyn shook her head.

"We tried that, remember? They said we couldn't adopt."

"What they said was that you couldn't adopt an infant," Lauren corrected her. "Carolyn, what if you could adopt a child? Does it have to be an infant? Would you adopt an older child?" Carolyn leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"I just don't know. I mean I suppose that in some ways it would be easier than caring for a baby at our ages. But…" Carolyn stopped and looked downward.

"But what?" Lauren asked. Carolyn shifted her gaze toward a window to stare outside. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I mean these children, older children, they already have a name. They already have a life, a family they remember. It wouldn't be the same, would it?" Carolyn sighed. "I know this seems silly, but I wanted David to have a son. A son who would carry his name. A son who would look up to him and know that he was his father without question." Lauren placed her hand on Carolyn's arm.

"Carolyn, I know it wouldn't be quite the same. Yes, your child would already have a name, and no, you wouldn't be the only family that they would know. But these children…most of them are there because all of their family is gone and the rest of them don't have any family that will take them in." Lauren smiled at her. "They need new families, and I think you'll find that they have plenty of room in their hearts for people willing to love them. People like you." Carolyn finally met Lauren's eyes again.

"All right. We'll consider it. But I'm going to try to meet some of the children alone first. I'm not bringing David until I meet the right child." Carolyn's face became determined. "I will not have him be disappointed and hurt again."

* * *

A few days later, Carolyn met Lauren at the orphanage. She and David had already been there earlier that week to discuss the possibility of adopting an older child and the staff seemed quite receptive to it. The next day Carolyn secretly asked for permission to meet with some of the children informally. They gave her permission with the provision that Lauren accompany her. The two of them met in the parking lot of the orphanage and walked in together.

"I just want to get a feel for these children first," Carolyn said. "So do not mention that I'm looking to adopt. I don't want to get their hopes up in case things don't click. They don't deserve that kind of rejection."

"Carolyn, what are you looking for?"Lauren sighed.

"I'm not sure," Carolyn murmured. Then she looked up, her eyes serious. "But I'll know when I see it," she continued. "So remember, not a word." She walked past Lauren who was shaking her head slightly. '_There's no arguing with her when she has that look,'_ she thought to herself.

They entered into the largest playroom and Carolyn's eyes danced around. There were 20 to 30 children there playing. '_All these children with no homes or families. How sad,'_ she thought. Many of the children recognized Lauren and said 'hi' to her while Carolyn introduced herself and began to play with some of them. She spent time with most of the children there; it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. Then one of the staff members came in, looking for Lauren.

"Mrs. MacArthur? There's a man on the phone from the DA's office. He says he needs to speak to you," she said. Lauren rose to her feet.

"Thank you Elsa." She turned to Carolyn. "Why don't you take a break? It's time for a lot of these children to take a nap anyway. I'll meet you back in the hallway in a few minutes."

"Sure, I'll see you," Carolyn said, getting up to leave. She turned back to the children. "It was nice meeting all of you. I had a lot of fun." She waved as the two of them left, and almost all of the children waved back along with calls of 'goodbye'. Once in the hallway, she watched Lauren leave to take her phone call, and moved to look out the window. '_They seemed like nice kids, and I hope they all find homes soon. But…' _Carolyn felt her heart sinking as she stared outside. She decided to go out into the garden.

Once there, she found a large flat rock next to the flowers and sat down. She looked out over the yard. '_They do seem like good children. But none of them…none of them felt…right somehow.'_ Her eyes began to swim with tears. '_Why am I crying? What was I expecting? That there would just be this magical moment when I found the right child?' _She put her head in her hands and let a couple of tears fall. '_We just want to be parents. To have a child to love. Why is that so hard?'_ Carolyn thought of all the setbacks she and David had endured: the day she was told she couldn't have children, the years they spent mourning over the fact that they couldn't have a child of their own, the many rejections and complications they had after they decided to adopt. She thought of David. He had been so patient, so persistent, but she knew it was becoming harder and harder for him with each failed attempt. '_Please. Please give us another chance,'_ she silently prayed.

Suddenly she felt something brush her foot. Carolyn lifted her face and quickly wiped her tears away as she looked down. Someone had placed a flower near her foot, a daisy. She glanced from side to side, but saw no one. She sniffed and picked it up, turning it around in her fingers. Then she got up from the rock and looked around.

"Hello?' she called. As she was looking, she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She slowly and carefully walked toward the source of the movement, a nearby oak tree. She circled around it to find a small boy sitting on some of the roots that arched out of the ground. He was pale with dark hair. He was looking at a large book and seemed to be near the end of it.

"Hello there," Carolyn said, softly. "Thank you for the flower. That was sweet of you." She didn't remember seeing this boy with the others. He finally looked up at her with large, chocolate eyes. Carolyn found that she couldn't look away from them.

"You're welcome," he whispered. "Don't cry."

"I'm not crying now, thanks to you," Carolyn smiled as she sat across from him on the grass. The boy looked at her again.

"You're Lauren's friend, aren't you?" he said. Carolyn was a bit startled by that.

"How did you know I was Lauren's friend?" she asked him. "I don't think we've met." The boy stared at her for a moment more and then turned back to his book.

"I saw you and her come into the orphanage together. She looked happy to see you, but then she looked worried. Like she was worried about you. So I thought she was your friend," he said. Carolyn gave a short chuckle. '_What an interesting boy,'_ she thought to herself. She then noticed the book he was reading. She recognized it as a book she saw one of the neighborhood kids reading. A neighborhood kid who was 10 years old. This child didn't look anywhere near that age.

"Um…are you enjoying that book? Are you sure you wouldn't like something else to read?" she asked him. The boy shook his head without looking up.

"No I like this one. Lauren gave it to me. I'm almost finished with it," he said. He still spoke barely above a whisper. Carolyn raised her eyebrow.

"Lauren gave it to you? And you read that all by yourself?" she asked. The boy nodded and looked up again.

"Why were you sad?" Carolyn smiled again and tied the daisy into her hair.

"I was sad because I was lonely. But I'm not now," she said. "How could I be when I have this lovely flower and your good company?" She held out her hand. "My name is Carolyn. What's yours?" The boy looked at her hand. He closed his book and looked away.

"Hi Carolyn," he mumbled. Confusion filled her mind. _'What happened? Why did he turn away?'_

"Carolyn."

Carolyn moved to stand up as did the boy at the sound of Lauren's voice. Lauren appeared in front of her a moment later, relieved.

"There you are. I was wondering what happened to you." Lauren said. "Where have you been? Where did you get that flower?"

"Hi Lauren," a very small voice added. Lauren's mouth opened in shock as she looked around Carolyn. She quickly put a smile on her face.

"Why hello Lance," she said. "I was wondering where you were." Lauren walked over and took his hand. Lance stared at the ground.

"I finished the book you gave me," he said giving her hand a squeeze and then letting go. He wrapped his arms around his chest, holding the book close.

"Actually Lauren, he is the one who gave me this flower," Carolyn said, looking back down at Lance. "We were having a nice talk." Lauren's eyes grew wide. '_He talked to her? He's never met her before and he talked to her?'_

"Well…that was very nice Lance," she said. "Her name is Carolyn and she is a dear friend of mine." Lance nodded.

"I know," he said and turned to look toward the building.

"Hey, Lance, why don't you go in and ask Elsa for some lemonade?" Lauren said. "Tell her I told her to give you some." Lance nodded again and began to walk away.

"It was nice meeting you," Carolyn called after him. Lance turned toward her to stare for a moment.

"You too," he said. Then he turned to run inside the building. Carolyn and Lauren looked at each other.

"What a fascinating little boy," Carolyn beamed. "You know he said you gave him that book to read. Can he really read books like that? He doesn't look more than four years old."

"Carolyn…"

"He gave me this flower because he saw that I was upset. He laid it on my foot. It was so sweet."

"Carolyn…"

"He already knew we were friends. He said he figured it out by watching your face. I mean, he's so quiet but…"

"Carolyn," Lauren said more firmly. Carolyn stopped as she watched Lauren's eyes grow sad. "Lance is a 'special needs' child." She reached over and put her hand on Carolyn's shoulder. "He's the one I told you about. The one in the closet." Carolyn's insides twisted at her words.

"You mean that boy…that boy is the one…the one who was horribly abused?" she asked. Lauren nodded. Carolyn's eyes glassed with tears again. "Oh, so that's why he didn't want to shake hands," she murmured.

"Carolyn, please don't misunderstand me. Lance is a good boy and I'm really glad you were able to draw him out so much. He could use more friends." Lauren watched Carolyn lower her head as a couple of tears leaked out before she continued. "I didn't have him meet with you because I know that a boy with his background…He needs a lot of care. I just don't know if that's what's best for you and David." Carolyn kept her gaze to the grass and nodded. "I'm sorry. Look, why don't we go back inside and look at some files? Some of the children you met today…"

"Lauren," Carolyn said, her head snapping back up. "Could I come back tomorrow and meet with Lance again?" She roughly swiped at the tears in her eyes.

"Carolyn, are you sure?" Lauren said, carefully. She looked Lauren in the eye, her tears had stopped.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said. "I can't describe what I felt just now. But when I looked into his eyes I…it was a connection. It was what I was looking for."

"But Carolyn, what about David? Lance trusts men even less than he does women. After what his father did to him."

"I don't plan to bring David along yet," Carolyn said, staring at the door she saw Lance run through. "Lauren, I felt something with him. I need to see what happens." She turned back to Lauren and struggled to swallow down the lump in her throat. "Besides, if anyone could reach him, you and I both know it would be David."

"All right Carolyn. Come back tomorrow and you can see him. I just hope you know what you are doing."

* * *

The next day Carolyn returned to the orphanage, excited. She was looking forward to seeing Lance again. After parking her car, she sat for a moment and shook her head in disbelief. '_I only met him for a few minutes. I couldn't be attached to him already. Could I?'_ She smiled to herself as she picked up a little plastic shopping bag. It was from a store she had stopped at the way over. She wasn't sure about it, but she hoped Lance would enjoy what she had bought him. Lauren was already there to meet her.

"Carolyn, hi. Is that for Lance?" she said, pointing to the bag. Carolyn grinned.

"I just wanted to give him something. Since he was so kind to give me that flower yesterday. You know, to thank him. I hope he likes it."

"I'm sure he will, but didn't have to do that, Carolyn."

"But I wanted to. I just…I wanted to." With that the two of them walked in. They found Lance in one of the smaller playrooms. He was sitting at a table and seemed to be hard at work, writing something.

"Hello Lance. What are you writing? Another story?" Lauren asked. Lance's head bobbed up for a second to look at them and then looked right back down at the paper.

"Hi Lauren, hi Carolyn," he mumbled, not looking back up. "Yes, another story." Lauren pulled over a couple of chairs and sat beside him. Carolyn sat beside her.

"Is it done? Could I hear it?" Lauren asked. "I bet Carolyn would love to hear it too."

"I certainly would," Carolyn said, leaning toward him. "Please."

"Ok," Lance said. He proceeded to read a short tale about one of the girls that lived with him at the orphanage. It was a fantasy that proposed that the reason this little girl hated frogs so much was because a giant frog had invaded her dreams and wouldn't let her dream about ponies, which she really loved. Lance's solution was that she should grab the next frog she saw and keep it in a jar so that the giant frog would leave her dreams. When he finished reading it, he looked up at Lauren and Carolyn, who clapped their hands at him.

"Thank you. I really liked that," Carolyn said. '_He writes things too? What a surprising child.'_

"Good job, Lance," Lauren said as she reached over to pat his head. He jumped a little at her movement, but relaxed as she smoothed his hair. Carolyn sat her bag on the table.

"I got this for you. To say thank you for the flower you gave me," she said to him. She reached into the bag and pulled out a small tube that had a set of knobs on one end. "It's a kaleidoscope," she told him. She then demonstrated how to turn the knobs to change the colors and patterns before sitting it on the table and sliding it toward Lance. He picked it up and looked through it, tilting it toward the light.

"Wow', he said as he kept fiddling with it. Both Lauren and Carolyn grinned. After another minute of playing with it, Lance sat it down for a moment to look at Carolyn.

"Thank you," he said, and then proceeded to pick it up and look through it again. Lauren chuckled as she rose to her feet.

"I'm going to get us all something to drink. Lance, you stay here with Carolyn," Lauren said leaving the room.

"Ok," he said, still staring through the kaleidoscope. Carolyn moved to sit next to Lance.

"I'm glad you like that," she told him. "It was something I enjoyed playing with when I was a little girl. By the way, how old are you?"

"I'm six." Carolyn raised her eyebrows at that.

"Really?" she said. '_He's so small. I didn't think he was that old. Still…the things he can do at his age…'_

"Yeah, I'm too old to be here," he said sadly, sitting the kaleidoscope down to look at her. Carolyn grew concerned.

"What do you mean, Lance? You're still a little boy." Lance looked away and stayed quiet for a moment.

"Parents come here. They come here because they want a kid of their own to take home," he finally said. "But they only want the little kids, and the babies. They don't want kids as old as me." He looked back at Carolyn. "Besides they don't want me because I'm too weird." Carolyn felt tears prick her eyes again as Lance's words ran through her head, '_"They only want the little kids and the babies." Just like I did,' _she thought guiltily_. _

"Don't be sad again," he said quickly. Carolyn shook her head.

"It's ok Lance. I just have a lot on my mind. But you know what? I don't think you're weird." Lance's eyes widened at that.

"You don't? But…the other kids…the adults I stayed with…they…they didn't like me very much. That's why I live here." Carolyn knew she was taking a risk doing this, but she slowly moved to take Lance's hand into hers. He jerked a bit when she touched him, but didn't take his hand away as she wrapped her fingers around it.

"Well, I like you very much Lance. I think you're very smart. I think that story you wrote was cute. And it was sweet of you to give me that flower yesterday," she said. "I don't think you're weird. You're just….sad, because of what happened to you. And that's ok." Suddenly she felt him open up his fingers and curl them around hers, squeezing tight.

"I like you too, Carolyn. A lot," he said, his eyes bright. Carolyn felt something pull at her heart. Sitting there, holding Lance's hand, she had an epiphany: this was the child she and David needed to adopt. Looking into his eyes, she saw a lot of pain there, and she knew this would not be easy. But she also knew that she just couldn't abandon this boy.

Now she just had to convince David.


	4. Year One, Beginning, part 2

Author's note: Here's the second half. I wanted to get this out there ASAP since I often don't have access to a computer on the weekends.

As always, thank you to everyone reading/following/reviewing this. I truly appreciate it.

Once again, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Year One—Beginning--pt 2

Carolyn came home that evening and began to prepare dinner. She started the prep work for the dish she was making, but decided to wait until David was home to finish it so it would be fresh. As she chopped vegetables, she began to feel uneasy. She hadn't told her husband what she had been doing the last couple of days, and she felt bad about it. Carolyn hated keeping things from him. However, after meeting Lance, she felt like she faced another dilemma.

She knew she wanted to bring Lance home. It had almost hurt to leave him at the orphanage today. But she also thought about what Lauren had told her about how Lance felt about men. She scraped the chopped vegetables into a pan and frowned. '_David wants a son. But he wants a son who could love him like a father. He could reach out to Lance…but would Lance accept him? And how would David feel if he didn't?' _She added the chicken and poured in a marinade. '_What if he doesn't want to deal with all the difficulties of raising a child like Lance?'_ After putting the whole thing into the refrigerator to marinate, she leaned against the door. '_I can't leave Lance there, but I can't hurt David either.'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. She moved quickly toward the front room to see her husband walking in. David Sweets still looked very much like how Lauren saw him ten years ago, except now his hair had gone grey at the temples and he often wore glasses. Otherwise, most people would say he hadn't aged a day. He pulled his wife close to him for an embrace and a kiss.

"I missed you," he said as he pulled his lips away. Carolyn smiled and stroked his cheek.

"You say that every day," she teased.

"And I mean it every day," he said pulling off his suit jacket and sitting it on a nearby chair. "So how was your day?" Carolyn backed away.

"I'll start the oven for our dinner. It should be ready in about an hour, so you can go freshen up." She left him standing there as she walked toward the kitchen. David raised an eyebrow at that. '_She's nervous about telling me something. Something she's doing while I'm gone,'_ he thought to himself. '_Best not to pry it out of her._ _She'll tell me when she's ready.'_

An hour or so later, the Sweets enjoyed a simple but satisfying meal together. They found a variety of topics to talk about that carefully avoided any discussion Carolyn's day. Afterwards they poured themselves a couple of glasses of wine and settled into the front room together on the couch to drink them. They had been away from their home for a while, and were glad that they could enjoy evenings like this again. After sipping on her wine for a few minutes Carolyn leaned closer to him.

"David, remember a few days ago when we talked about maybe trying to adopt again? About adopting an older child like Lauren said? Do you…do you still want to do it?" David took a deep breath. '_So it's about that,'_ he thought to himself. He then took both of Carolyn's hands into his.

"Yes. I still do," he said. "I mean it's not what we originally planned, but in the long run it's probably for the best. After all if we were to adopt an infant now, I'd be in my 70s before he graduated from high school." He pulled Carolyn to rest against his chest. "I don't plan on going anywhere for a long time, but I'd like it if I wasn't quite that old before our child became an adult."

"You still want a son, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes," he said wrapping his arms around her. "But I'm sorry if that's pressuring you. If you think…"

"No," she said. "I want a son too." She gave a long pause. "David I…I've been going to the orphanage the past couple of days. To see some of the children."

"I see," David nodded his tone serious. "Why didn't you have me come with you?"

"Because…because after what happened in California, with Carla keeping her baby…I didn't want to get your hopes up and then be disappointed again if…if…." Carolyn gulped.

"If what?"

"If we couldn't find the right child," Carolyn spat out. She gripped David's hands tightly. "David it's not like adopting a baby. We wouldn't be all they would know. I had to meet those children first. I just needed to see…" Carolyn stopped and sighed.

"You needed to see if you could find a child you could love. A child you thought I could love," David murmured, finishing her statement.

"Yes," she said, feeling the lump return in her throat. David leaned to kiss her temple.

"That had to have been hard for you. Overwhelming. You should have let me come with you," he said. He leaned back against the couch. "So, is that what's bothering you? You weren't able to find anyone? Because there are other places we can go. Together this time."

"No," Carolyn said hoarsely. David pulled her close again.

"Carolyn, don't worry. I understand why you went alone. I'm not upset," he soothed. "We don't have to give up here."

"No," she said again, more firmly this time. She turned to face him. "I don't want to go anywhere else, because there is a child there. A boy I want you to meet."

"Oh," he said, finally understanding. "You've already found someone."

"His name is Lance and he's six years old," she said starting to smile.

"Six? I didn't know you would be interested in a child that old," he said. Carolyn felt sick at David's words as she thought about what Lance had said to her that afternoon. David watched her face fall and quickly smiled at her. "No, no dear it's ok. I'm just surprised is all," His smile grew. "He must be a very special boy for you to worry this much."

"He is," she insisted. "He's so smart. You know that book we saw Sue and Nathan's boy reading the other day? While he was sitting on his porch? Well, I saw Lance reading it and he completely understood it. Lauren says he reads books like that all the time."

"And you say he's six? He must be pretty bright," he responded. David remembered the book Carolyn was talking about; it was really something for fourth or fifth graders to read. This boy was just starting school.

"He writes these little stories about the other children," she continued. "He comes up with all these ideas about why they do things and makes up a story about it." David laughed a little.

"Sounds like he has a playful mind," he said. He was swiftly becoming intrigued by this child.

"Thing is he doesn't always make things up. He was able to watch Lauren and me together and figure out we were friends. Just by watching Lauren's facial expressions," Carolyn beamed. "Then he gave me that flower so that I wouldn't cry. It was…"

"Carolyn, you were crying?" David's eyes became hard. He hated it when she cried.

"I was just so frustrated," she said. "We've been trying to adopt for so long. It just didn't seem fair…But it's ok. He gave me that flower and told me not to cry."

"This sounds like a wonderful child. I can see why you like him so much," David nodded. "So when am I meeting him?" Carolyn looked away from him. "What's wrong?" he frowned.

"David…he's what Lauren calls 'special needs'."

"Special needs? What does that mean?" he asked.

"He…he was abused by his father. Badly abused. Lauren said she found him locked in a closet and had to take him to the hospital when they removed him from his father's custody," she said sadly. David felt himself growing angry. '_How could a man do that to their own son? Especially if the boy is anything like what Carolyn says he is?'_ Carolyn held David's hands again. "David, he's still hurting. Inside," she continued. "Lauren said that they haven't been able to place him into a foster home because of how he is. He's very hesitant with people. Especially with…" Carolyn stopped herself, but David shook his head. He knew what she was going to say.

"With men?" he asked. "Because of what his father did?"

"Yes," Carolyn nodded. "I know I shouldn't have…without talking to you...but…but I've…"

"You've fallen in love with this boy. Despite what you know about him. And now you're worried that he won't be able to bond with me." Carolyn gazed into David's eyes. He had always been able to read her every mood, her every feeling.

"David, I know you will make an amazing father. And I'm sure Lance could grow to love you. But it wouldn't be easy…maybe not for a long time." The two of them sat in silence for a while after that. David digesting what she told him. Carolyn wondering what he was thinking. Finally he smiled and kissed her again.

"When can I meet him? Is tomorrow too soon?"

"David…," she breathed.

"Carolyn, we've been trying this for a long time. I know that it would take a lot for you to care this much." Carolyn snuggled against him.

"I love you," she said.

"And I love you," he answered. "I can't wait to meet him."

* * *

The next day David and Carolyn arrived at the orphanage together. David had taken the whole day off from work, and Carolyn had called Lauren and asked her to meet her there to go over Lance's case files. They both knew that if they were going to adopt Lance, they were going to have to know everything about him. Even the things they didn't want to know.

Lauren was there in the parking lot when they drove up and got out of the car.

"David…this is a surprise. I thought that Carolyn…."

"I'm sorry Lauren, but David wanted to meet Lance before we go over his files," she said. "Don't worry. I already told him what you said about Lance." Lauren nodded and then noticed David carrying another small plastic bag. She smiled.

"Another gift? You're going to spoil that child."

"This was my idea," David chimed in. "Besides, someone should spoil him a little. Don't you think?"

The three of them walked in together and found Lance sitting by himself next to the window. He was watching the other children play outside.

"I don't think we should all go in at once," Lauren cautioned, turning to David. "Carolyn and I will go in first. Then you can join us." David nodded and moved to wait by the wall outside the doorway. When Lauren and Carolyn went in, Lance looked over at them and moved to stand up.

"Hi Lauren, hi Carolyn," he whispered, his eyes lighting up. "Are we going to play again today?"

"Yes we are," Carolyn grinned. She knelt down beside Lance and took his hand. He still jumped a bit, but he didn't pull away. Lauren continued to be surprised at how well Lance took to her.

"I want you to meet someone," Carolyn said.

"Who? One of your friends?" Lance asked her. Carolyn stood back up, still holding his hand.

"Sort of," she said, letting go of his hand. "Here let me show you." She walked out and then came back, bringing David with her. "Lance, this is my husband, David." David gave him his broadest smile.

"Good to meet you Lance. I've heard a lot about you," he said. Lance looked down and backed away a bit. Carolyn looked worriedly at David, but if he was disappointed he didn't let it show. "I hear you like to read. So I brought you something." Then David pulled a book out of the plastic bag. "This is a book I enjoyed when I was a boy. I think you'll like it." He sat it on the table next to Lance. Lance backed away some more.

"It's got a lot of adventure, castles, even a dragon," David continued. He then moved away toward the side of the room opposite from Lance. Finally, Lance crept over to the table, and cautiously picked up the book. He opened it up to look at it and then looked back at David. "You keep it. It's yours now," David said. Lance looked at the book some more, flipping through some of the pages, and then shut it and held it close to him.

"Thank you," he whispered, still not daring to look David in the eye. David smiled at him again.

"You're welcome, Lance," he said. David couldn't help but notice the slight tremor in the boy's hands as he held the book. '_Poor kid. He's so scared.'_. He leaned against the back wall. '_Best not to push him. Just let him relax.'_

"Lance, how would you like to draw something today?" Lauren asked, bringing over some crayons and some paper.

"Sure," Lance nodded and the three of them sat down at the table next to him. David moved to sit at a table at the other end of the room. As Lance, Carolyn and Lauren sat and drew and colored, David became restless and got up to get some paper of his own with a pair of scissors. He sat back down and proceeded to cut the paper up into smaller, more uniform squares.

While he did this, Lance kept looking up from his drawing and stole glances at David. Eventually he grew bored with what he was doing and watched David. Meanwhile David had begun to fold one of the squares over and over again. Lance got up and slowly walked over to where he was, still watching him.

"What are you doing?" he asked. David grinned at him.

"It's called origami," he replied. "It's where you fold paper into shapes." He finished a few more folds and then held his creation up. "See look, a swan," he said. He sat it on the table and pushed it toward Lance. Lance reached over and picked it up and turned it around in his hands. "You can have it," David said. Carolyn and Lauren watched this and then beamed at each other.

Suddenly, Lance looked up, his eyes dark, his face unreadable. He crushed the paper swan in his hands and tore it in two, all while not taking his eyes off of David.

'_There. That will show you.'_

Lauren and Carolyn both could not stifle a gasp. David stopped smiling and instead looked puzzled. Lauren got to her feet first.

"Hey Lance, it's almost time for lunch," she said hurriedly. "Why don't you go wash your hands and we can meet you back here later." Lance nodded, still giving David a cold stare. Carolyn and Lauren moved to the hallway. David stood and turned to watch them.

"I'm sorry Carolyn. He doesn't always act like this."

"No, it's my fault. I'm pushing him and Lance too fast."

A soft sniffle drew David's attention back into the room. He looked to see Lance staring down at the torn pieces of paper, looking all the world like he was about to cry. David sat back down at the table and picked up another paper square.

"Hey, hey now Lance, it's ok," he said gently. Lance looked up at him, his eyes shiny. "Look, watch me," David continued. He started folding the paper and Lance watched him, still sniffling a little. Carolyn and Lauren stopped talking and looked back in the room to watch David as well. Soon he finished folding and held out a second swan toward Lance. "Here you can have another one, if you want," he said, once again sitting it in front of Lance. He stared at David, his eyes wide and then he looked down at the swan in front of him.

'_Aren't you mad at me? Why aren't you angry that I tore up the other one? Why are you giving me this one?'_

Lance carefully picked up the swan and cupped it in his hands. He then looked back at David.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice wobbly. David gave him a slight smile.

"Don't worry about it, sport. I forgive you," he said. "Why don't you sit it with your new book and you can have it after you eat your lunch." Lance watched him for a moment more, and then quickly, but gingerly placed the swan down on his book. Then he left the room and ran down the hall.

Lauren simply stood there, stunned. Carolyn walked over and held David close to her. She wondered if he felt the same feelings about Lance that she did. She looked up into his eyes and as he stared back, she knew the answer before he even spoke.

"Lauren, let's go look over his file now," he said. "We need to know all about Lance, including what exactly happened to him."


	5. Year One, Homecoming, part 1

Author's note: Sheesh, what a long weekend. Glad I can get to a computer again. Once again this section will be split into parts due to length. That will probably be the norm from now on.

Warning: Some descriptions of child abuse.

I still don't own Bones or any of its characters. If only....

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading and/or following this. And I want to give a shout out to: **thebluedahlia**, **Fear Herself**, **** and **cwgirlup**. Thank you for your kind reviews.

And to **thebluedahlia**: Thanks, I'm on that. I'm actually a more recent convert to the fandom of Bones, but I have the first 4 seasons on DVD. I love all the characters, but Sweets is my favorite (is that obivous, yet? ;) ). Before I started writing this, I watched every episode, especially the ones with him in it, over and over and over....Now if only I could see more than a couple episodes of Season 5....

Wow, this was a long Author's Note. Onward then....

* * *

Year One—Homecoming--part 1

The Sweets sat next to each other on a worn couch while Lauren sat in a chair across from them. They had moved into one of the offices at the orphanage so that they could speak privately. Lauren held a stack of files in her lap. There was quiet as Lauren kept staring at her papers; she was at a loss to know how to begin. Finally she took a deep breath before starting.

"Well here is what we could find about Lance's history," she said. "He was born Lance Jensen on April 10, 1985 to Andrew Jensen, aged 20, and Lillian Place, aged 24."

"So, they weren't married?" Carolyn asked.

"No," Lauren answered. "From what Mr. Jensen told us under interrogation, Miss Place left him and Lance late one night when Lance was almost three years old. They never heard from her again."

"She abandoned him? Left him with that horrible person?" Carolyn said, incredulous. David took her hand.

"He was probably cruel to her too. Maybe she felt she had no choice. Right?" he said looking over to Lauren. Lauren knew David said that to be fair, but she watched as anger began to burn in his eyes.

"We don't know for sure if he abused her too," Lauren said. "We were able to interview an old friend of Miss Place's, and she only said that there was a lot of fighting. Plus, this friend mentioned that Miss Place was not the most mature of people. She had a very hard time handling motherhood."

"What happened to her?" Carolyn asked.

"Don't know for sure. We tried tracking her down when we took Lance into custody, but we never found her," Lauren said. "The last thing we know for sure is that she hitched a ride with a traveling circus that was heading toward her home state of Florida. After that, she disappears."

"She hasn't tried to contact her son? In all that time?" Carolyn said.

"No, and I don't think she will either. According to her friend, Miss Place felt that she needed to, and I quote, 'get away from all her mistakes and constraints and start a new life'"

"And which did she consider her son? A mistake or a constraint?" David growled at Lauren. Carolyn reached over and began to rub circles onto his back.

"Don't know that either," Lauren answered, unfazed. "It seems that Mr. Jensen's abuse of Lance stems from around this time. He was careful to not to take Lance to the same place twice, and he even used fake names. But we were able to track down his visits." Lauren looked down at an open file in her lap. "A broken wrist at one place. Three cracked ribs at another. Another time, stitches with a black eye. A dislocated shoulder on another visit." David gripped the armrest of the couch tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"He did all that in less than three years?" David spat out. Carolyn's eyes filled with tears.

"I hate to make it worse, but I spoke to the physician that was treating Lance after I took him to the hospital. He said that the multitude of bruises and welts, old and new, that I had seen on him had nothing to do with those injuries," Lauren said, her voice somber.

"No wonder he's scared when people touch him," Carolyn cried, tears finally escaping. David leaned over to hold her against him. He stroked her hair, but his eyes were hard, his posture rigid.

"What was it?" he said, his voice steely.

"What do you mean?"Lauren asked, puzzled. David stared at her for a moment and then took a deep breath.

"What happened that put you onto his case?" he said. "You just told us that you found out about these other injuries later. What was it that made you take him to the hospital in the first place?" Carolyn looked over at David, horrified, and then at Lauren. Lauren simply nodded her head. '_I should have known he would catch that,'_ she thought to herself. '_I have to tell them. They will find out about it eventually anyway.'_ Lauren sat up straight, to steady herself for this part of it.

"Social Services received an anonymous phone call about a child that could be in danger with an address and a name, Jensen. The police were also tipped to a disturbance there, so I rode with them to the address. The officers went in and subdued and arrested Mr. Jensen, who had been drinking heavily. After searching around inside for a couple of minutes, the officers called me inside and requested an ambulance. I went in to see what they had found." Lauren swallowed hard.

"They had to break open the closet, it had been locked," she continued. "Lance was there…on the floor…." She stopped to wipe a tear from her eye.

"Go on," David said, still holding a silently weeping Carolyn.

"He was bleeding...It took a while but I finally managed to get him on gurney so they could take him away in the ambulance. He kept screaming when anyone besides me tried to touch him." Lauren sniffed. "The doctor…the doctor told me that he had been beaten with some sort of whip…beaten so hard that he left bloody lashes on his back. We found it at the house later."

"Oh God," Carolyn said, burying her face into David's chest. His eyes became bright with unshed tears of his own. Lauren took a couple of deep breaths before continuing.

"Lance…he still has the scars. He probably always will… We were worried at first that he wouldn't recover. Along with his injuries, he developed pneumonia. The doctor said that because Lance was malnourished and starving, it was easy for him to get sick. It was a month before he was strong enough to leave the hospital." Lauren finally stopped to wipe her nose with a tissue.

David leapt to his feet and walked out without saying a word. He slammed the door behind him.

"David!" Lauren called after him, but Carolyn raised a hand to her.

"No, let him go," Carolyn sniffled between tears. "He needs some time to pull himself together. He can't do that if we chase after him." Lauren put her files down in her chair and moved to sit with Carolyn, handing her a tissue.

"I'm sorry to put you two through this," she told her. "I mean, it's my job, I've seen things like this before. But even I have a hard time thinking about this case." Carolyn took the tissue from her and wiped at her eyes and nose.

"No, it's all right," she said. "If we are going to take care of Lance, we have to know what happened to him. Besides, Lance is the one who had to live through all that. We will need to be strong for him." Carolyn looked back at the door. "David will be strong. He just feels things deeply. I know he felt the same connection I did while meeting Lance."

After a couple more minutes, Lauren returned to her chair and was able to stop crying, as was Carolyn. David opened the door and Carolyn went to embrace him. After a moment, the two of them sat back down on the couch.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just needed a moment." David took another deep breath. "Please tell me that his father is no longer allowed anywhere near him." Lauren gave a half smile.

"I'm happy to say that he isn't," she told them. "Mr. Jensen is currently serving time in prison. For what he did to Lance along with a whole other list of things. He actually signed away his parental rights to the state to try to get some time taken off his sentence."

"Well that's good at least," Carolyn nodded. "Lance doesn't need to have him in his life anymore."

"Yes," Lauren said with a huff, as she leaned back in her chair. "There is more I need to tell you," she said. The Sweets looked at each other, and then held each others hands before facing Lauren again. "The orphanage has been taking care of Lance for the most part because all of the foster homes we have put him with have found his issues too difficult to deal with."

"Issues? " Carolyn said. "You mean like how he's so hesitant with people and how he doesn't like to be touched?"

"Yes, but there's more to it," Lauren answered. "Lance was severely traumatized. As a result he suffers from a number of problems: panic attacks, severe sleep disturbances…"

"Nightmares?" David said, and Lauren nodded.

"Yes, the kinds that leave him screaming and crying almost every night…sometimes more than once a night. Fortunately, he has stopped hurting himself, but I can't guarantee it won't happen again."

"Hurting himself? Lance has done that?" Carolyn asked sadly.

"I…I once saw him purposely hit his own hand over and over with a toy car," Lauren answered. She then cleared her throat. "The point is that if you adopt him, it will not be easy for you. And there is a chance that he may never bond with you completely. So I have to ask: are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"

David and Carolyn turned to look at each other, their hands intertwining together. They didn't speak, but Lauren could see that a rich conversation was passing between them; the kind that comes from being able to look into each others souls. When they turned back to Lauren, she knew that they had an answer for her.

"How soon can we bring him home?" David asked. Lauren smiled.

"I'll start on the paperwork tonight."

* * *

The Sweets walked back to the playroom to find Lance back by the window. He was starting to read the book that David gave him, and sitting on his knee was the paper swan. They grinned at each other as they walked toward him. Upon hearing them coming, Lance closed his book and sat it down, moving the swan to sit next to it.

"Hi Lance, how was lunch?" Carolyn asked him. Lance turned and swung his legs off the window sill, so he could face them.

"It was ok," he said. Carolyn sat down beside him, and Lance looked up at her, his eyes growing intense. "Are you tired?" he asked her.

Why no, I'm not sleepy at all," she smiled. "I stay up pretty late." Lance shook his head.

"No. I mean like…"Lance paused, seeming to struggle to find the words. "Like when you have a day where lots of bad stuff happens and you just feel…tired." Carolyn was surprised. She had to admit that going over Lance's past was emotionally draining. '_How does he read feelings so well?'_ she asked herself.

"I guess I am a little tired that way," she said."I have a lot to think about these days." She tilted her head at him. "Do you get tired that way too?" Lance nodded.

"Yes, sometimes." He seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he picked up his new book and held it out to her. "You can read my book," he offered.

"Is that what you do when you're tired?" she asked him. He nodded again.

"Yes. It's better than sleeping." Lance cast his eyes downward. "I don't always like sleeping."

'_Probably because of all the nightmares,'_ Carolyn thought to herself.

"That's sweet of you to offer," she said, taking the book from his hands and setting it beside her. "But do you know what I do when I feel tired like that?" Lance shook his head. "I find that a hug always makes me feel better." Lance looked away from her and squirmed. Carolyn held out her arms toward him. "Can I give you a hug, Lance? Please?" Lance didn't seem to hear her at first, but he soon looked back at her.

"Ok," he whispered. Carolyn smiled and gingerly pulled him close to her to hold him. Lance did not hug her back, but after a moment he leaned his head onto her shoulder. Carolyn reached up to stroke his hair.

"Thank you, Lance" she murmured, still running her fingers through his hair. She gave him one last squeeze and then let him go.

David watched all this and smiled his eyes shiny. He walked over to sit back down at the table he was at before.

"Hey, how are you doing, sport?" he asked. Lance looked back downward. "You know I can make more than just swans. Would you like me to make you something else?" Lance looked over at Carolyn.

"It's all right Lance," she said. The two of them got up and walked over to the table David was sitting at. They sat down across from him as David began making a variety of other origami creations. After a while, the woman Lauren referred to as Elsa stopped in the room, holding a file folder.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets? Mrs. MacArthur asked me to give you this file with some additional paperwork that you will need to fill out," she said. "She's tied up on the phone and she wanted me to make sure you got that in case she couldn't see you before you left." Carolyn reached up for it and took it.

"Thank you Elsa," she said. Elsa nodded and left the room.

"Sweets? That's a funny name," Lance said.

"It's _our_ name, sport," David grinned.

"Did your dad come up with that because your family is nice?" Lance asked. Both David and Carolyn laughed a little.

"No, no," David chuckled. "My grandfather came here from Germany. His last name was originally Schuchardt. Granddad used to work for one of those old-fashioned drug stores when he first moved the U.S. Back then they used to do things like sell candy to the kids, which my granddad loved to do. He got the nickname 'Sweets' because of that and partially because it was easier for the people around there to say than Schuchardt. He liked it so much he had it changed legally and it's stuck ever since."

"Oh," Lance said. He fell back silent as David finished making a paper samurai warrior for him. Sometime later Lauren came in.

"I'm glad I was able to catch you," she said. "I'm afraid Lance needs to get ready for dinner and then has to take a bath before bed. You'll have to leave now." Both of the Sweets' faces fell.

"So soon," Carolyn mumbled. She turned back to Lance and took his hands into hers. He barely flinched this time. "You have a good night and I will come by to see you tomorrow." She let him go as she stood up. David rose to join her.

"Good bye Carolyn," Lance said. "I…I can't wait for tomorrow."

"Good night Lance," David said. The Sweets and Lauren began to walk out of the playroom.

"Wait." Lance's voice stopped them and they all turned back to see him standing in the center of the room. Lance opened and closed his mouth a couple times, seeming to struggle to get the words out. He finally gulped and looked at the floor again. "Is…is David coming too?" he asked.

"I planned to," David said. "Maybe I could read one of your stories? Would you like that?"

"No!" Lance said emphatically turning his head away from David. "I don't want you to."

"Ok, ok," David said holding his hands up. "I don't have to come. You could just visit with Carolyn if you want." Lance looked back at them, his eyes wet.

'_Aren't you going to yell at me now? Aren't you angry? Or disappointed? Or freaked out?'_

"I enjoyed meeting you, and I'll see you later sport," David smiled. He started to leave again.

"Please come."

David turned back to Lance. Lance was sniffling again and had resumed looking at the floor. He looked up and finally met David's eyes.

"Please come tomorrow," he said his voice cracking. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his tears down. David gave him an encouraging smile.

"All right, I'll come," he said. "We'll figure out what we want to do then. All right?" Lance nodded.

"Ok…Good night," he whispered. He then turned back toward the windows and moved to gather up all of David's origami figures.

"I'll be back in a minute with Elsa, Lance" Lauren said. The Sweets and Lauren then walked toward the front door. "I'm setting up an appointment for you to meet with the orphanage's director tomorrow," she said. "I can get the paperwork from you then," Lauren gave a half-smile. "I foresee few hurdles in your adoption of Lance."

"Are you sure about that?" Carolyn said mischievously. "Seems like adoption proceedings have nothing but red tape." But David had a darker look on his face.

"She means that not many people want a child like Lance at his age and with his background," he said harshly. "The fact that we are considered too old to adopt an infant will be overlooked. Isn't that it?"

"David, I've known you for many years, and consider you a dear friend, so I will overlook your tone," Lauren said narrowing her eyes. "The fact is, if I thought you couldn't take care of Lance, we wouldn't be having this conversation. And I certainly wouldn't let you keep coming here over and over, bonding with him, and possibly setting him up for disappointment if you were to stop coming." David softened his expression and gave her a sad smile.

"Don't misunderstand me, Lauren," he said. "I just don't like the idea of this place treating Lance like damaged goods. I never thought you saw him that way," He reached over and patted Lauren's shoulder. "And don't worry, we are not abandoning him."

"I'm sorry David. I should have known you didn't mean anything by it," Lauren said. "Besides I should be grateful you feel the way you do. I know Lance was giving you mixed signals, but…"

"It's all right Lauren," he said. "He's just testing me is all. I understand."

"Testing you?" Carolyn said, tilting her head at him.

"He wanted to see if I would lose my temper with him. Or reject him," David said somberly. "Like I'm sure his father used to do."

"David, if it makes you feel any better, Lance interacted with you far more than what he ever has with any of the foster fathers that he was placed with," Lauren said. "He seems to like you."

"He needs a real father," David said, his voice soft. Carolyn leaned over to put her arms around him.

"He needs a father like you," she said.


	6. Year One, Homecoming, part 2

Author's Note: Here is the next part. There will be one more part for this section, and then I'll start the next chapter. Did I warn everyone that this would be a long story? ;)

As usual, thank you to all of you who are reading/following/reviewing this. I'll admit I was nervous when I started this since it's the first time I'd ever written any fanfiction. But it's been fun and I hope to do more of it.

Bones and its characters are still not my property.

Year One—Homecoming-part 2

The next two weeks proved to be exhausting for the Sweets. In between meetings with the orphanage staff, David and Carolyn spent as much time as they could with Lance. Lauren noted that every time they came to visit, Lance seemed increasingly at ease with them. He stopped flinching when Carolyn touched him and didn't resist when she wanted to hold him, even though he wouldn't hug her back. He still did not let David get too close to him, let alone touch him, but he stopped acting scared when David came into the room and he talked to him more and more.

While she continued to help sort out the details of the adoption in her office, Lauren smiled as she thought about how eager Lance was at the thought of seeing them.

"Are David and Carolyn coming?" he would ask every morning. When she told him they were, she would watch Lance's eyes light up. She loved that he finally seemed to look forward to each new day instead of drifting through them like a ghost.

When they weren't at the orphanage, the Sweets were busy preparing their home for Lance's arrival. They had already set aside a room across from their bedroom when they decided to adopt. They bought furniture appropriate for Lance's age that he could grow into. David spent his evenings putting it all together. Carolyn added a couple of decorative touches, but David discouraged her from doing too much to the room.

"Let's see what he likes," he told her. "Then we'll decorate his room however he wants."

Carolyn smiled as she watched David put the finishing touches on another piece of furniture. She knew that he was getting ready to indulge Lance. He had already bought a stack of books and a couple toys that he thought Lance would like, and she knew that there would probably be more trips to the toy store in Lance's future. But she didn't worry about it too much. She knew that David wanted what was best for Lance, and that while he may indulge him he would not spoil him.

Toward the end of the second week David had to stop coming to the orphanage other than to go over papers. He spent his time at the financial firm where he worked as a manager. His boss, a close family friend, was allowing him to take a sabbatical from work so he could help Lance adjust to his new home, but David still needed to get his affairs in order before he could do so.

"You're a brave man to start a family at your age," his friend and co-worker Jack told him at work one day. David grinned at him.

"It's what I've always wanted. Besides Lance is a special kid." Jack clasped his shoulder.

"He's lucky. You'll be a great dad."

One person who noticed David's absence was Lance. The first day that he didn't show up with Carolyn to visit, Lance acted like he would cry.

"Isn't David coming?" he whispered. Carolyn put her arm around him.

"Lance he wanted to come. He really did. But he had to go to work. He's an important person there and he needed to get some things done." She held him close and rubbed his shoulders. "He'll come again as soon as he can. I promise," she told him.

Lance nodded and didn't say another word about it, but Carolyn noticed that he was subdued the rest of the time that she visited with him.

'_He doesn't like me after all. I knew he wouldn't.'_

At the beginning of the next week, the Sweets were finally able to settle the terms of Lance's placement. The first year would be a foster home situation where the Sweets and Lance would be evaluated every two months. If after a year they still wanted to keep Lance, arrangements would be made to make the adoption permanent. The Sweets just smiled at each other while this was explained to them.

Both of them knew that they had no intention of sending Lance back.

The next day after the final arrangements were made, the Sweets showed up to the orphanage early. Now that they had completed the paperwork and meetings, there was one last person that they needed to talk to about this. David and Carolyn were excited, but they were nervous too.

Today would be an important day for all of them.

* * *

David and Carolyn waited anxiously in the playroom for Lauren to bring Lance from breakfast. Soon Lauren guided Lance in to see them. At the sight of both of the Sweets, Lance stopped moving.

"Hey sport, I've missed you," David said. Lance stared at him.

'_You came back. Why did you come back?'_

"Hi Carolyn, hi David," he mumbled. Carolyn walked over and hugged Lance who remained stiff and still.

"Good morning. How was your breakfast?" she asked him.

"Ok," Lance whispered, still not taking his eyes off David.

'_Why are you here? Why do you still want to see me?'_

Carolyn took Lance's hand and guided him to a chair.

"Sit down, Lance. We have something important to talk about," she said. The Sweets sat in a pair of chairs across from Lance. After everyone settled in, Carolyn took Lance's hands into hers again.

"Lance how would you like to come live with us?" she asked him. Lance's eyes grew big and darted back and forth between David and Carolyn.

"You mean live with you…like a foster home?" he whispered. Both David and Carolyn shook their heads.

"No Lance," David said. "Not a foster home. We mean forever. We want to adopt you."

"We would be your parents," Carolyn said. "You wouldn't come back here anymore. Ever." Lance looked downward and yanked his hands away. David and Carolyn looked at each other; the same thoughts racing through both of their minds. '_Does he not want that? Maybe he just wants us to be friends with him.'_

However, they soon noticed that Lance's shoulders were shaking and he had tears sliding down his face. Both of the Sweets felt their hearts ache.

"Lance, what's wrong?" Carolyn asked. Lance shook his head back and forth. He got up from the chair and turned away from them. "Lance?" she said, concerned.

"Why?" Lance finally whispered.

"Why what Lance?" David asked his voice gentle. Lance cried silently for another minute before turning back to them.

"Why do you want me?" he blubbered. "Nobody wants me. They always send me back here. Daddy said…" Lance paused and began to gasp as he cried harder. "Daddy said that no good person wants to look after a stupid kid like me," he said raising his voice to yell at them. "I'm worthless." Lance dropped down to sit on the floor and buried his face in his hands to sob.

The Sweets were stunned for a moment at the amount of pain in Lance's words. They looked to each other and then they both moved to sit next to Lance on the floor. Carolyn reached over and gently but firmly tilted Lance's chin so that he would look her in the eye.

"Lance, he was wrong," she said forcefully. "You are not worthless." She reached over with her other hand and began to brush tears away from Lance's cheeks."You were never worthless and you never will be," she continued to soothe. "And you're not stupid; you're the brightest child we've ever met." Carolyn held her hands against the sides of his head.

"We want you to come home with us and be a part of our family," David said softly. "Because…"

"Because we love you," Carolyn murmured, leaning to touch her forehead to Lance's. He closed his eyes and gave a soft hiccup as he stopped crying. Carolyn let go and watched him sit up and sniff. After a minute of sitting there silent, Lance opened his eyes and lunged forward to throw his arms around Carolyn's waist. She gasped, surprised, but quickly wrapped her arms around him to hug him back. David carefully moved closer and put his arm around Carolyn and placed a hand over one of Lance's hands. To everyone's surprise, Lance actually grabbed at David's hand.

They stayed like that for a couple minutes before Lance pulled away to sit up and look at them.

"Can I go with you today?" he asked the Sweets. They both smiled at him.

"You can go with us as soon as we gather your things," David said.

* * *

Driving up to the Sweets' house, all Lance could say was 'wow'. Their house was a large two-story brick home that was had a wooden fence along the yard and a good sized porch in front. A garage had been built into the side of the house, and they parked their car inside. After getting out of the car, Lance stood in the middle of the yard and turned about slowly in a circle to take it in.

"It's big," he said. "Bigger than the foster homes."

"Well it's your home now too," Carolyn giggled as David pulled Lance's suitcase out of the car.

"Where are the other kids?" he asked.

"No other kids, Lance," David answered as he grabbed a plastic bag that held the few belongings of Lance's that weren't clothes. "You're our first child." Carolyn took his hand.

"Let me show you around so you can see where things are while David puts your things away," she said. She took Lance inside and took him from room to room while David went upstairs. She showed him the front room, the kitchen, the dining room, the bathroom and the family room. She then took him upstairs to show him the study, another bathroom and the master bedroom. Across from the master bedroom was another door that was shut and Carolyn took Lance over and stopped in front of it.

"And here is your room Lance," she said. She opened the door and followed him inside. David was already there and had just finished unpacking.

The walls were bare, painted a bright sky blue color. There was a double bed with a night stand next to it with a lamp. Near the window was a desk and chair with another lamp that swiveled. On the wall next to the desk were two large bookcases. One of the bookcases already had two shelves filled with books. Next to them was a wooden chest that had a couple of toys sitting on the lid. On another wall was a chest of drawers that stood next to a walk-in closet that Lance's clothes were hanging in.

Lance walked around the room over and over again.

"Well, what do you think?" David asked him. Lance finally looked over at them.

"All this is mine? My room?" David couldn't suppress a grin.

"Sure is sport," he said. "Now I know it looks a little bare right now, but as you get settled in, we'll be sure to make it more your own."

"Thank you," Lance said sitting on the bed. It was softer than any of the other beds he had had. He threw himself backwards to lay on it and enjoyed how fluffy the comforter was and how warm it felt.

"Are you tired? Would you like a nap?" Carolyn asked him. Lance sat up.

"I'm hungry," he said, getting to his feet.

"We can fix that," David said. "I'll have you know that Carolyn here is an excellent cook." Lance followed them back downstairs. Carolyn went to the kitchen while David followed Lance as he explored the house. Walking into the family room, Lance remembered there being a TV and walked right over to it. He turned to look at David.

"Hey, you want to watch TV?" David asked. He picked up the remote and turned the TV on and then handed the remote to Lance. "Here, pick what you want." Lance hesitantly took the remote and then turned to the TV. After flipping past a couple of channels, he stopped when he saw that his favorite cartoon, Voltron, was coming on. He immediately sat down on the floor to watch. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth; he hardly ever got to watch Voltron. Usually some other kid, or adult, would want the TV and make him change the channel.

David sat down on the large sectional couch behind Lance and smiled as he watched him. '_He really likes that cartoon. I'll have to remember that when we get stuff for his room,'_ he thought to himself.

After a while the show ended, and Lance got to his feet and stretched and yawned.

"Hey sport, are you sleepy?" he asked him. Lance turned to him, his eyes droopy, and nodded. "Well I'm not surprised; you've had a big day." David looked over at the clock. _'Carolyn will have dinner made in a little while.'_ David didn't want to settle Lance in for a nap upstairs for such a short period of time.

Instead he stood up and grabbed a couple of decorative throw pillows and sat them at one end of the couch he was sitting on.

"Here, why don't you lay down here and we'll wake you up when it's time to eat," David said. Lance nodded again, climbed onto the couch and laid down, his eyes closing instantly. David then picked up a light blanket from the back of one of the chairs to cover him. The moment a corner of the fabric touched Lance, his eyes shot back open to stare at David.

"It's ok Lance. I'm just going to cover you up," he said as he began to drape the blanket onto him. Lance seemed to relax as David finished putting the blanket on him. He then reached up and tucked it close to Lance's shoulders. To David's surprise, Lance gave a small sigh of contentment and burrowed himself into the blanket, his eyes closing again. David sat back down in a nearby chair and watched Lance's breathing become more even and slow as he fell asleep.

As he watched Lance sleep, David became lost in his own thoughts. He was surprised how relaxing it was to watch him, how peaceful he felt._ 'He seemed to like being tucked in to sleep,'_ he thought to himself and smiled. David believed all kids like to be fussed over a little and was glad to find some way to do that for Lance.

After a few more minutes, Carolyn walked in.

"Dinner's…" she started, but David held up a hand to quiet her and motioned at the couch. She looked over to find Lance sleeping peacefully. She walked over quietly and knelt down near the couch to watch him. David got up and joined her.

"He looks so innocent," she whispered. David nodded in agreement. While asleep, Lance looked even younger than his six years. Carolyn looked over to David.

"A part of me just can't believe we're parents now," she continued to whisper. "It's a little frightening, but exciting too."

"I know what you mean," David said, giving her a peck on the cheek. The two of them went back to watching Lance. Neither of them wanted to break up this moment, but they knew they needed to. Carolyn sighed as she reached over to gently shake Lance's shoulder.

"Lance…Lance, come on now. Time to wake up," she said softly. "Time to wake up and eat." Lance jerked a bit and then groaned as he started to blink his eyes open. He sat up, clearly groggy, and started rubbing his eyes.

"Come on, let's go eat," she said, guiding him off the couch. The three of them filed into the dining room where the place settings and the food were already laid out. As they sat down, David and Carolyn noticed that Lance only came up to his shoulders in his chair.

"Whoops," David chuckled as he got up and looked around the room. He spotted a thick pillow sitting in a nearby chair. He picked it up and went to Lance's chair.

"Hop down for a second so I can fix your chair," he told him. Lance complied and sat back down once David got the pillow into place. Now, he could sit comfortably at the table.

"Perfect, that's your chair from now on, sport."

They went on to enjoy their simple dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. Lance seemed especially ravenous as he quickly finished his first serving.

"I told you Carolyn was a good cook," David said as he gave Lance another helping. He soon finished that off and then sat silently. The Sweets noticed that Lance seemed to be staring at the food.

"Lance, do you want more to eat?" Carolyn asked. Lance looked down at his plate.

"Is…is it ok?" he mumbled. Carolyn quickly grew concerned.

"Of course you can have more if you're still hungry," she said reaching for his plate to give him more. Lance swallowed hard.

"Daddy said I ate too much," he said timidly. "He got mad when I ran out of food." Lance squirmed in his chair. "One of the foster homes I was in…they didn't like it when I ate a lot either."

David clenched his jaw to keep his emotions in check. He remembered how Lauren had said that Lance was starving when she found him. She had also mentioned that the orphanage staff was concerned that he would never eat very much. David understood that Andrew was simply an abusive parent, but he couldn't understand why Lance's foster families would not make sure that he got enough to eat._ 'Lance is so tiny and thin. How could these people keep starving him?'_ he thought, disgusted. His eyes began to glitter with anger.

Carolyn felt sick, but tried to remain calm as she put some more food on Lance's plate and sat it in front of him.

"Lance, you should eat if you're hungry. You're still a boy and you need food," she said. She glanced at David and noticed the slow burn in his eyes. But when Lance looked over at him, he tried to soften his expression and put on a half-smile.

"Carolyn's right," he said. "You've still got a lot of growing up to do. So go ahead; eat as much as you want." Lance nodded and began to devour his food. For the rest of the meal, David and Carolyn stole glances at each other, both of them contemplating the same thing: they were just beginning to learn about the extent of the abuse Lance had suffered.

They were sure that there would be many more revelations to come.


	7. Year One, Homecoming, part 3

Author's Note: Ok, last part of this section. I may have to slow down the pace of updates soon because I need to do some major revisions on Year Two which is coming up after one final section. We'll see if that turns out to be the case....

I know this may seem like a weird question, but I'm pretty new at this: what is the etiquette regarding having a similar idea to another author for a story? When I wasn't working on this (!?!) I was actually planning out a rather long trilogy of casefics that are Sweets-centric (yeah, I just can't get him out of my system ;) ) among other things. However, much to my dismay, I just found out that someone else has a similar story idea to one part of my trilogy. It wouldn't be exactly the same since I plan on relating it to my other works (including this one), but I was wondering how others on the site would feel. I didn't want anyone to think I was ripping them off. Thoughts, please?

Putting that aside, I want to continue to thank everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I'm really glad people are enjoying it.

And I still do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Year One—Homecoming—part 3

After dinner, Carolyn started to put the food away and Lance jumped up from his chair to leave. However, David held up a hand to stop him.

"Hold on," he said. "You need to help clear the table." He stacked up some plates and silverware and set them in front of Lance. "Take this and sit it on the counter." Lance hesitated, staring down at the pile. Carolyn started to reach for them, but David stopped her.

"Lance, part of being in a family is helping out; everyone does their part. You need to do your part which is clearing the table so Carolyn can do her part which is washing the dishes, and I can do mine which is putting them away," David leaned closer to stare into Lance's eyes. "Understand?"

"Yes," Lance said. He picked up the dishes and walked to the kitchen.

"Good," David called after him. "Come back for more when you've got that done."

After clearing the table, the Sweets let Lance wander around by himself while they finished the dishes. Afterwards, they found that he was in the front room staring at a table that had a vast array of framed photographs sitting on it.

"Is this your family?" Lance asked turning toward them.

"Some of them are," Carolyn said, walking toward him. "Others are friends. Unfortunately there is not much family left these days."

"Why don't you have any kids?"

"We have one now," David said mischievously.

"No…" Lance mumbled, beginning to blush. "I mean having a baby. Why didn't you have a baby?"

"I got sick once," Carolyn said wistfully. "After that I couldn't have any babies."

"Oh," Lance said, looking down. "Sorry."

"It's all right," she said. Lance looked back up at her.

"Why are you so much older than all the other parents that came to the orphanage?" he asked. David and Carolyn looked at each other, bemused. _'Well, he sure is direct,'_ David thought to himself.

"After Carolyn got sick, we didn't know for sure if we still wanted a child," David answered. "Once we knew we did, it took us a long time to find the right child."

"Me?" Lance asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yes you, silly," Carolyn smiled at him.

"But…but the other parents…they wanted babies without any mommies or daddies. And I still have a daddy." Lance said, shuddering a bit. "So how could I be the right kid?" Carolyn walked over closer to Lance.

"Lance, did Lauren explain to you what adoption means?" she asked him. Lance nodded.

"Yes. She said it's where parents take a kid home and they live with them forever and ever," he said. Lance looked down again, his voice beginning to crack. "Lauren said I'd have to stay with some families, but they always sent me back to the orphanage."

"That wasn't adoption, Lance," David said. "Those were foster families."

"I know," Lance spat, an angry glint forming in his eyes. "She said I had to live with them 'cause it was going to take a while for her to find me a real home 'cause I'm…special." Lance seemed to choke on that last word.

'_Not special. Messed-up. Broken.' _

"You are special, Lance," Carolyn soothed. "That's why we adopted you. And this is your home now. Forever and ever." Lance backed away from them and began to clench his hands into fists.

'_I'm not special. You'll still send me back. They all do.'_

"Lance…" David said, reaching over to him. Lance jumped away.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled. "You're not my daddy."

Lance then turned and ran out of the room. The Sweets followed him and watched as he ran up the stairs. A moment later, they heard his bedroom door slam. Carolyn started to go after him, but David grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Let him go," he said. "He's been through a lot today. New parents, new home… it's a lot to absorb. He needs time alone to think about all this."

"But...He..." David pulled her close.

"I know. Every inch of you is screaming to go up there and take care of him. But we can't be with him every moment of the day. He needs space as well as love." David gave her a quick hug. "Let's finish things up down here, and then you can go check on him in a little while."

* * *

After a few minutes Carolyn finished cleaning the kitchen. She then joined David at the dining room table where he had spread out some additional papers that Lauren had given him.

"David…I…" He reached over and took her hand and kissed it.

"It's all right, Carolyn. We knew this wouldn't be easy. We'll get through."

"I love you," she said solemnly.

"I know," David nodded. He looked back down at the table. "Now, I was looking over Lance's papers, and I agree with Lauren; he should be re-evaluated for school. Public school is ok, but I think he would thrive in a more challenging environment."

"Private school?" she said. "But won't that be expensive?"

"I was thinking of selling the boat."

"David," Carolyn gasped. "You spent years helping to build that boat. You've sailed in it."

"And when was the last time you saw me do anything beyond maintenance on it?" he said. Carolyn started to say something else, but he cut her off. "Carolyn, we are financially secure, but we are not rich. I know someone who has wanted it for a while now and who will give me an excellent offer for it. Even after taxes, the money I would get would go a very long way toward paying for Lance's education. I'd probably even have some left over to set up a college fund."

"David, are you sure?" Carolyn asked him. He gave her a wide smile.

"I'm sure," he said. "I had my fun building it and sailing in it. But it's far less important to me than my family and Lance's future."

"How did I find such an amazing man?"

"By being an amazing woman," he said gently, looking into her eyes. She leaned over to kiss him. He then picked up another paper.

"I think we should get Lance to a pediatrician. I talked to our doctor and he was able to refer me to someone. We should try to get an appointment for Lance for tomorrow if at all possible. Lauren was worried that Lance wasn't eating enough, and after tonight I understand why."

"I can't believe his father actually got mad just because he had to buy Lance more food. And what kinds of people were taking care of him in those foster homes?" Carolyn said, exasperated.

"I don't know," he sighed. "His father was just a hateful bully; who knows what their excuse was. Anyway, we need to make sure he's not going to have any long term health issues."

"Lauren said something about a therapist."

"And again, I agree with her," David nodded. "He needs help. The kind only a professional can give. We can be loving and supportive, but we can't give him everything." Carolyn stood up.

"I'm going to check on him now, she said.

"I'll come up later," he smiled. "Go ahead and take care of him."

Carolyn walked up the stairs and over to Lance's door. She knocked on it before entering.

"Lance?" She scanned the room, but didn't see him. "Lance, are you in here?" She then heard a whimper from under the bed. She knelt down beside it, and looked underneath to see Lance curled up on the floor. Carolyn reached out her hand.

"Lance, please come out from there," she said. He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. She reached a little closer toward him. "Please Lance."

After a couple more tries, Lance finally crawled out from under the bed and Carolyn guided him to sit on the bed.

"I'm sorry," he said tearfully. Carolyn pulled him over to sit partially in her lap and put her arms around him.

"Don't worry Lance, we forgive you," she said, rocking him slightly. "If you don't want us to touch you, that's ok. We won't force you. Just tell us is all, don't yell at us."

"Ok," he mumbled. He laid his head on her shoulder and snuggled closer. "Carolyn?"

"What is it?"

"Thank you," he whispered. Carolyn smiled and gave him a very light kiss to the forehead.

"Why don't we get you ready for bed." She let Lance go and went to open up his dresser. She then handed him a set of pajamas. "You go get dressed in the bathroom, and I'll get your bed ready." Lance took the pajamas and left for the bathroom. After changing he came back and found that Carolyn had pulled back his bed sheets and was sitting in a chair next to his bed.

"Would you like me to read to you before you go to sleep?" she asked. He nodded. "Ok, go ahead and pick a book, and then get into bed." Lance studied the titles in the bookcase before finally deciding on one and handing it to Carolyn. She opened it up to read as he climbed into bed.

She read for a while, until she noticed Lance was barely able to keep his eyes open. She closed the book and sat it on his night stand.

"I think we'll stop there for tonight," Carolyn told him. "I'll read you more tomorrow." She moved the chair back next to Lance's desk. "Do you want me to leave a light on for you?"

"Yes, please," he said in a tiny voice. Carolyn turned on the lamp beside his bed and went to turn off the main lights in the room. Only a soft golden glow was left.

"How's that?" she asked him.

"Ok," he said his voice still slight. Carolyn looked at him, puzzled. '_He seems to want something, but he won't say what.'_

"Is someone going to sleep?"

Both Carolyn and Lance looked over to see David standing in the doorway. He strode over to the bed.

"I was just getting ready to say good night," Carolyn smiled.

"Well then, let's make sure you're ready," David said. He then reached down and re-adjusted Lance's sheets so that he was more securely tucked in; even fluffing the sides of his pillow a bit. As he finished, David saw a slight smile on Lance's face as he settled onto his side.

"Sweet dreams, Lance," he said, patting Lance's back and then moving away from the bed. The two of them turned to leave.

"Don't go," Lance whimpered. Carolyn turned back to him and touched his cheek.

"Don't worry. We'll be right across the hall if you need us," she said.

"Please. Just 'til I'm sleeping. Stay," Lance begged. Carolyn pulled the chair back next to the bed.

"All right, I can stay for a little while," she said. Lance closed his eyes and seemed to sink into his bed.

"Could…could David stay?" he asked in a voice so soft, they barely heard it.

'_He won't stay. He doesn't like me. I yelled at him.'_

Soon Lance heard someone sit down beside him, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see David sitting there.

"Sure. I can stay. Now go to sleep," he said patting Lance's arm and then leaning back in the chair.

"Good night Lance," Carolyn said as she left the room.

David watched as Lance fell into a deep sleep, and contemplated the events of the day. He thought about Lance's angry words and shook his head. _'It's like he thinks I couldn't possibly love him. Because I'm trying to be his father? _He reached over and very carefully brushed a stray wave of hair away from Lance's forehead. '_His father didn't love him, even though he should have. So, does he think I have even less reason to care for him? Because I'm not his "actual" father? _He looked down at Lance and frowned. _'Or did something else also happen that made him fear men?'_ David felt uneasy at the possibilities that Lance's behavior seemed to point toward. Suddenly he heard Lance groan a bit, and looked up to see him stirring. David reached over stroked Lance's arm. After a moment Lance seemed to settle back into a deeper sleep again.

'_He seems to want to be cared for, but he's scared of getting hurt again. Or rejected.' _David sighed; he knew it was going to take a lot of love and reassurance to change Lance's beliefs about himself and the world.

David's thoughts were interrupted by another groan from the bed. He looked over to see Lance starting to thrash about in his bed. He started talking in his sleep.

"No…please…it hurts…" Soon his cries were getting louder and the thrashing more intense. David reached over and shook Lance's shoulder.

"Lance, wake up," he said. "Lance, it's just a dream. You're safe now." He shook Lance's shoulder a little harder. "Lance."

Suddenly Lance shot upwards in bed and screamed, his eyes open and wide. David jumped back, startled. Seconds later, Carolyn ran into the room.

"David!" she said, quickly moving toward the bed. Lance sat there shaking violently and had begun to cry. She sat down next to him on the bed and put her arm around him so that he was leaning against her.

"It's ok, it's ok now," she soothed rubbing Lance's arm. "It was just a dream. It's over. You're safe now." Lance turned his face against Carolyn's shoulder and wept into it. David stood up to leave.

"Don't go," Lance said, suddenly turning and grabbing at David. "Please don't go." David sat down on the bed close to Lance and Carolyn and took his hand.

"I won't go. I promise." David said gently. "I won't go anywhere." Lance began to tug at David's hand, to pull him toward him. David reached over and very slowly and gingerly took him from Carolyn's arms and into his own. Lance then held onto Carolyn's hand as David embraced him.

"It's all right now," David murmured. "We're right here with you." Lance slumped against David's chest and the Sweets held him until he cried himself out. As his cries slowed down to sniffles, David carefully maneuvered Lance to lie back down.

"Feel better now?" Carolyn asked him as he turned to lie on his back. Lance gave a very slight nod.

"Good," David said. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

"Please," Lance said his voice watery.

"All right I will," David nodded. Carolyn got up and bent down to kiss Lance on the forehead again.

"Go back to sleep," she said. "I'll be right across the hall if you need me again." After she left, David tucked Lance back into bed and settled back into the chair.

"David?"

"What is it, sport?"

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." David reached over to pat Lance's head but stopped when he saw Lance flinch.

"I forgive you, Lance," he said, his tone sincere. Lance's eyes grew solemn.

"You shouldn't. I've been mean to you," Lance said. "Didn't I hurt your feelings?" David took a deep breath as he looked into Lance's eyes. He knew he needed to be careful in how he answered that. _'Best to be direct and honest,'_ he thought.

"Lance, you did hurt my feelings when you yelled at me," David began. "And I know that you know that it's wrong to hurt someone's feelings. But I think a lot of people have hurt you. I think so many people have hurt you that it's scary for you to trust people. Scary because you tried to be good, you tried to do everything right. But it didn't seem to matter."

David watched Lance's eyes become intense as he told him this, and reached over to stroke his hair. This time Lance didn't flinch.

"You saw other kids with fathers who were good to them, but yours hurt you," he continued. "And you can't understand what you did wrong. Other people, they couldn't understand how much you were hurting inside and it hurt even more when they weren't nice to you either." David leaned close and used his thumb to brush away any stray moisture on Lance's face.

"I know it's hard for you to trust us. To trust me. But, Lance you need to try." David leaned back again. "You don't have to keep testing me."

Lance sat up in bed, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock.

'_How did he know? How did he know all that? I didn't tell him. But he knew.'_

"Lance?" David said concerned with how Lance was staring at him. Suddenly Lance leaned over and hugged David tightly.

"I like the name Sweets," he whispered into David's ear.


	8. Year One, Adjustment, part 1

Author's note: This begins the final section of Year One. It will also be in parts.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. And I don't own Voltron either. Probably should have thrown that in before now...

As always thank you to all who are reading/following/reviewing this. And that note...

**Kenner**: Thank you for the review and the advice. It was very helpful.

**Elipeel: **Your English is just fine. Thank you for the kind review.

Warning: This chapter is a bit dark.

Year One—Adjustment--part 1

Early the next day, David managed to get an afternoon appointment with a pediatrician. He also called Lauren so that she could send some information to the doctor about his history. Fortunately, Lance did not have any more nightmares that night, so he was mostly rested when he got up that day. This was more than could be said for David. When Carolyn noted how tired he seemed, David laughed it off.

"If we had adopted an infant like we planned, I would have been up at all hours of the night anyway," he said.

They managed to get themselves and Lance dressed and out the door in plenty of time to show up at the doctor's office. After a short stay in the waiting room, the Sweets and Lance were greeted by a stout woman in a white coat with hazel eyes and brown hair tied up in a bun.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Anna Colinablanca," she said, smiling and holding out her hand. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Sweets."

"Please, it's Carolyn and David," Carolyn said warmly shaking the doctor's hand. After shaking David's hand, Anna looked downward.

"And you must be Lance." She held out her hand but Lance just stared at it. The doctor looked up to see David shaking his head. She nodded in understanding and put her hand down.

"I'm not sick," Lance told her.

"Well that's good," Anna said her voice cheerful. "But I'm here to make sure you won't get sick anytime soon." She then motioned to a woman in a scrub uniform decorated with pastel kittens.

"Lance, go ahead with Amy here and she will weigh you and see how tall you are," Anna said. Lance looked over at the Sweets, nervously.

"It's ok Lance, we'll be right here," Carolyn assured him. Lance nodded and let himself be guided away by the nurse. Anna then turned back to David and Carolyn.

"I got the boy's history from Mrs. MacArthur, so I know I will be seeing a lot of evidence of old trauma," she said. "What I want to know is how much you were told?"

"Lauren…Mrs. MacArthur told us about the bruises, the broken bones...the...whipping," Carolyn choked. Anna nodded.

"I will have to see his back at some point while I examine him," she said. "Mrs. MacArthur indicated that there is a lot of scar tissue there. Have you seen it?" The Sweets shook their heads and the doctor sighed. "Try to react as little as possible," she told them. "It's going to be hard enough for him with me examining him; he'll need you to be calm."

"We understand," David said his expression grim.

Just then the nurse came back with Lance. She gave the doctor Lance's chart and Anna raised an eyebrow as she read the results.

"Well then Lance, now we need to go into this room over here," the doctor said waving toward a door. Once again, Lance looked over at David and Carolyn. "Don't worry, they'll be with you the whole time," Anna said.

They moved into the room and Anna had Lance climb up onto an examination table. As she checked Lance's ears, eyes, mouth, breathing and pulse, he was clearly uncomfortable, but remained stiff and still. After writing a few things down, Anna turned back toward him.

"Ok Lance I need you to take off your shirt so I can look at your back," she said. Lance looked down and gulped.

"Please, no…" he whispered.

"Lance, she needs to do this," Carolyn said. "It'll be all right." Lance looked up and his eyes darted between the Sweets and Anna, searching for a way out and finding none. Finally he gave in. He slowly pulled his shirt off and squeezed his eyes shut.

Both David and Carolyn were horrified at what they saw.

Long raised scars covered and criss-crossed along Lance's shoulders. Some were a vivid pink while others were a sickly white.

Carolyn's hands shook as she watched the doctor examine Lance. She held David's hand to try to calm herself. _'How could someone do that to him? No wonder he has nightmares.'_

David ground his teeth, desperate to quell the anger building in him. He gripped his wife's hand. _'God…his father was trying to beat him to death.'_ He began to wonder how Lance was able to stay sane while he was in his father's custody. _'You're a brave kid, Lance,'_ he thought to himself.

Soon Anna finished her examination and Lance swiftly put his shirt back on.

"Ok, Lance, you've been a good patient so far, but I need to do one last thing," she said. "I need to take some blood from you." Lance looked up and began to breathe heavy as he started to panic.

"It will just be one little poke and then you'll be done," Anna said softly. Lance began to shake his head back and forth. David walked over to him and placed a hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Lance, you've done a good job so far, but you need to let her do this one last thing," he said. David could feel slight tremors under his hand as Lance shook a little. He was quickly learning that Lance could only handle so much stress at a time. Being prodded at in the doctor's office was stressful, especially since Lance was trying very hard to keep his emotions under control.

"Lance, let her do this, and then we'll go home, all right?" Carolyn said. Lance finally gulped and nodded again.

Anna had him hop down from the table and move to a chair where she tightly tied a rubber tube around his arm. Lance continued to shake while he sat there.

"I need you to relax," Anna said. David walked over and nudged Lance's chin so that he faced him.

"Hey sport, look at me, ok?" he told him. "This will all be done in a second and then we'll go home and Carolyn will make you lunch. Are you hungry?" Lance nodded and Anna finally pricked his arm. David kept him distracted while a vial filled with blood. Once done, Anna replaced it and quickly started another one.

"After lunch you can play for a while and then watch Voltron if you want," he continued. "How's that sound?" Lance's eyes lit up, and David smiled at him. Just then Anna finished and pulled the needle away.

"All done," she said pressing a tiny bandage onto his arm. Lance swiveled his head to look at her. "You did an awesome job," the doctor said. Lance reached over and rubbed his skin around the bandage.

"It didn't hurt," he said surprised.

"Of course it didn't," Anna smiled at him. She walked over to open the door and called for Amy who was waiting in the hallway. "Lance, go ahead and go with Amy so you can pick out a prize."

"A prize?" Lance said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"For being such an excellent patient," Anna said. "You go with her and I will talk to…"

"The Sweets," Carolyn said, cutting her off. "We'll wait for you here, Lance." He looked around and then got to his feet.

"Ok," he said and then he let Amy point him down the corridor. After he left the doctor closed the door.

"The Sweets?" she said with a questioning tone.

"Lance is still adjusting to us, and the adoption is not permanent yet," Carolyn explained. "He's not comfortable with calling us 'mom' and 'dad'."

"So…he calls you by your first names?"

"For now," David nodded. "He will call us 'mom' and 'dad' when he's ready. We're not pushing him."

"Okaay…" Anna said. "Well, fortunately his old injuries don't seem to be leaving any lasting issues. His back has healed well and the scars don't seem to be giving him any pain."

"They won't go away? Will they?" Carolyn said sadly.

"I'm afraid not. The scars run too deep. What I am concerned about is his size," Anna said. "He's six years old, but his growth is more like that of a three or four year old. He should be a couple inches taller and at least ten pounds heavier."

"Doctor, one time while we were eating, Lance told us that his father would be angry if he ate too much. And one of his foster families did that too," Carolyn said.

"Yes, I saw the doctor's report from Mrs. MacArthur that showed he was malnourished when she found him," Anna sighed. "I took that blood sample so that I could check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. From what you told me, Lance may have not been eating right for a while and it's hurting his growth."

"What can we do?" David asked.

"Well the most important thing to do right now is to get him eating," she said. "I'll call you to let you know if he needs anything special added to his diet after the test results are in, but for now just encourage him to eat when he's hungry. Is he a picky eater?"

"Well…we don't think so. Lauren didn't mention it," Carolyn said, frustrated that she couldn't answer the question more definitively.

"Then I would suggest that you keep introducing him to a variety of foods to see what he likes and entice him with that," the doctor said.

"Doctor, he will grow, right?" David asked, worry coloring his voice.

"Don't worry," Anna smiled. "I'm sure that once he's on a healthy diet, he should start growing again normally. And don't be surprised if he's always a little thin. His build suggests that he may be rather slim, even at a healthy weight." She wrote a couple more things down in a file and then handed a slip of paper to the Sweets.

"We should set up a follow up appointment in a few months, to see how he's doing. Of course if anything comes up, do not hesitate to call me," the doctor said.

"Could we have a card with your contact information?" David asked.

"Sure, I was going to give you my office number. Did you need another one?" Anna asked, perplexed.

"We talked to Lau—Mrs. MacArthur about this," Carolyn answered. "If…if anything bad happened and we had to take Lance to the emergency room…it would be best if we could have them contact you as well as Lauren. Since you know Lance's history." Anna nodded, understanding.

"So they would know that you weren't the ones who gave Lance those scars?" she said. Carolyn nodded and swallowed hard. "That's fine," Anna continued. She pulled a card out of her pocket and wrote on it. She handed it to David. "Here is my office and my home number. If there is an emergency, you just have them call me and I will inform them of the situation."

"Thank you Doctor," David said, reaching over to shake her hand.

"No problem," she said. "And if I can say this: I think what you are doing for that boy is wonderful. Mrs. MacArthur explained his case to me, and I'm glad he's going to have a stable home with you instead of being in the foster system." David shook his head and smiled.

"Lance is an exceptional kid. He deserves a good life," he said. The door opened, and Lance walked in with a toy in his hand.

"Look Carolyn, David at what I got," Lance said with a slight smile. He held up a miniature tablet that had the outline of a person's face on it with a clear sheet that could be lifted upwards. Attached to it by a string was plastic stick that looked like a pencil.

"You draw a face on him," Lance said demonstrating by giving the outline an elaborate smile and decorating the eyes.

"And then it goes away," he said lifting the sheet so the lines disappeared.

"I see. I'm sure you'll be drawing lots of funny faces," David grinned at him.

"I will see you later Lance, "Anna said, waving at him. As she watched the Sweets leave with Lance, she smiled to herself. She suspected that it wouldn't be too long before Lance was calling them 'Mom' and 'Dad' instead of Carolyn and David.

* * *

That first visit to the doctor's office began a new habit that the Sweets had to learn to deal with: explaining Lance.

'_Yes, we are his parents.'_

'_Yes, we are a bit old to have a child this young. He's adopted.'_

'_No, he doesn't talk much'_

'_No, please don't try to touch him.'_

'_Yes, he really can read that book. And understand it.'_

It was tiring and frustrating at times, but the Sweets learned to keep a sense of humor at having to answer the same questions over and over again.

David would go out and get things to help decorate Lance's room as he found out about the types of things, like Voltron, that he liked. Other times the Sweets would take Lance with them to get him additional books, toys and clothes.

Often the Sweets simply stayed at home so that Lance could relax and get used to his new surroundings. Lance enjoyed having the time to unwind so he could read or play. He especially liked spending time with David and Carolyn. He would often want to play or read in the same room with them and he liked having them sit with him while he watched television. When he wasn't doing that, he would spend time talking to them, or simply watching them as they went about doing chores. The days passed by pleasantly as Lance settled into a routine of sorts.

But they were not without incident.

One evening Carolyn was knitting and David was reading his paper while Lance was sitting on the floor playing with a couple of his new toys in the family room. The Sweets weren't watching as Lance began to slow his movements down and start staring at the floor. His breathing became quicker and his hands shook. David glanced up and noticed how unnatural his stance had become.

"Lance?" he asked, setting his paper down. Carolyn looked up from the scarf she was making.

But Lance didn't seem to hear him. Instead he kept staring at the floor and then at his hands. Suddenly he looked at the toy robot he was gripping in his right hand and began to pound it against the fingers of his left which he had pressed into the carpet.

David leapt up and grabbed both of Lance's wrists from behind and held him them apart from each other. Lance screamed at him and struggled against his grip violently, but David held him firmly in place.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Lance yelled at him, enraged.

"I will let you go if you drop that toy in your hand and stay still," David said, calm but firm. Lance continued to try to fight his way out of David's grasp, but he was held down into a sitting position on the floor. Carolyn sat down on the floor across from them, frightened by the scene taking place in front of her.

"Lance, baby," she said softly. "Just let go of the toy."

"No!" Lance said, turning his anger toward her. "You said that you wouldn't touch me if I didn't want it. You lie!"

"Lance," David said, tightening his grip slightly to get Lance's attention. "We are not going to let you hurt yourself. Now, do as I say and I will let you go." Lance started to sag in David's grip and became limp. He opened up his fingers and the toy dropped to the floor. Carolyn snatched it away and pushed all of Lance's other toys away from him; only then did David let him go. Once released, Lance sat there, swaying at bit. When he lifted his head to look at Carolyn, tears were running down his face.

"I'm sorry…I…I don't know…why I…I…." Lance said, his breath coming in sharp hitches. He began to sniff harder as he lost control. "Daddy says I'm a messed up kid," he said as he started to sob.

Carolyn crawled over and took Lance's hand, and he ended up moving to lean against her chest. She then stroked his hair.

"It's all right," she soothed. She looked over at David who had a grave expression and then looked back down at Lance. "We're going to get you some help so that you can stop hurting so much."


	9. Year One, Adjustment, part 2

Author's Note: Here is the next part. I may actually try to get another part posted later today so that I can finish Year One. I probably won't be able to update over the weekend due to the holidays and a little thing called homework...

On a side note, I rarely get to watch Season Five episodes of Bones, and thus I've only seen a handful of them. However, I got the chance to see the latest episode (Bones on the Blue Line) and I really enjoyed it. It was funny **and** it had major Sweets angst. However, that bit at the end where Sweets talks about his parents being married for close to 60 years does disrupt the timeline that I'm establishing in this. Ah well, that's the chance you take when writing something for a show that is still being made.

I'm seriously tempted to do a one-shot based off this episode....

Once again, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And...

**Promising Love 685**: Heh, heh, you're going to wait until I finish until you start reading it? Considering it how large it is now, and I'm just **starting** Year Two.....I hope you are very patient and like to read a lot at once ;)

**Fear Herself**: Thanks for your reply. I will be watching your story.

I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. Natch.

Warning: some descriptions of child abuse

Year One—Adjustment—part 2

A couple of days after the incident with the toy robot, the Sweets and Lance found themselves heading off to meet Lance's psychiatrist for the first time. While riding to the office, Lance fiddled and squirmed in the back seat. He looked very nervous.

"You ok back there, sport?" David asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror as he drove. Lance shrugged.

"Lance, you know where we're going, right?" Carolyn said. "And why we're going?"

"I have to see another doctor," Lance said. "To talk about…stuff. I had to do that at the orphanage." He started to stare at his shoes.

"That's right Lance," she said.

"Don't want to talk anymore."

"I know you probably don't want to talk Lance, but you need to," she said gently. "The doctor…he'll help you feel better." Lance shrugged again. Carolyn looked over to David, who shook his head. They both knew that Lance needed therapy, but didn't know how to make him any more comfortable about it. Lauren had strongly recommended this therapist because he was known for his work in treating gifted children. The Sweets felt that Lance needed someone who would not underestimate him.

After arriving, they walked into a brightly lit waiting room and sat together on a large black vinyl couch. The secretary signed them in and talked for a couple of moments on her telephone. Not long after she hung up, a door opened off to the side of the room and a man came out to greet them. He had auburn hair and a closely shaved beard and mustache. The Sweets and Lance stood up to greet them.

"Hello. I'm Doctor Murray. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Sweets," he said. Both David and Carolyn shook his hand and then Murray looked down.

"And you must be Lance," he said, staring deep into his eyes. Lance returned the stare.

"Lance," Carolyn said with a slight push in her voice.

"Hello," Lance whispered, still not moving his eyes away.

'_He's sizing me up,'_ Murray thought to himself.

"Well I'm going to talk to Lance for a while and then I will speak to the two of you," Murray said. "Go on in Lance," he said holding out his arm toward his office. Lance hung his head and trudged in. David and Carolyn moved to follow him, but the psychiatrist held up his hand.

"I'm afraid not. I need to speak to Lance alone," he said.

"Shouldn't one of us…" Carolyn began.

"No, I need him to be able to talk freely," Murray said. David sighed.

"We understand. We'll wait out here," David said, taking Carolyn's arm to lead him to the couch. Murray nodded and went back in, closing the door behind him.

For the next 45 minutes, the Sweets sat in pensive silence. They both kept looking back at the door.

"It'll be ok, right?" Carolyn finally asked. David held her hand.

"He needs this Carolyn," he said. "As much as we'd like him to not think about his past, we both know that's not possible." Carolyn nodded and the two of them became silent again after that.

Soon the door opened and Murray and Lance walked out. Lance's nose and eyes were red, but he wasn't crying at the moment. Carolyn stood up and held out her arms. Lance quickly walked over to her and let her envelop him into a hug. David stood, his posture rigid, and stared at the psychiatrist. Murray met his stare.

"Could I see the two of you for a moment alone," he said. Carolyn nodded and kissed Lance on the forehead before letting him go. She then reached into her purse and pulled out a book.

"Here Lance, why don't you read this while David and I speak to him," she said, handing it to him. "We'll be right back." Lance took the book and sat on the couch to read. The Sweets then went into his office and Murray pulled the door shut.

"Please sit down," he said pointing to a pair of chairs across from his desk. The Sweets complied as Murray settled back behind his desk. He looked over some notes for a minute or two and then he looked back up at David.

"You're angry," he said. "Angry that I put Lance through some sort of ordeal." David looked away.

"No. I mean, well, I know it's your job, but…" David started.

"But you don't like seeing Lance upset. Even though you know it will probably happen during therapy," he said. David nodded. "That's a normal, healthy response," Murray smiled. "It's good to see that you're so paternal toward him." The psychiatrist leaned back in his chair before continuing.

"I went over Mrs. MacArthur's files and the notes from the therapist at the orphanage. After meeting with Lance I can tell you that he is everything they say he is."

"Which is?" David said leaning forward in his chair.

"He is very bright and creative. He is quite perceptive of others, but very guarded as well. And unfortunately he is also deeply traumatized." David and Carolyn slumped in their chairs, their eyes dimming a bit.

"Lauren, she told us about a lot of Lance's abuse," Carolyn said.

"I read the reports," Murray said. "The orphanage's therapist had a couple of things in his notes that were not in the case files. Things that Lance had hinted at when he was evaluated."

"Like how his father would get angry if he ate too much, despite the fact that he was starving him?" David said bitterly. Murray raised an eyebrow.

"Did he tell you this?" Murray asked. David nodded. "That was unusually trusting of him," the psychiatrist said. "Lance's other therapist had only guessed at that from what little he would tell him. But I worry about what Lance is not saying."

"What do you mean?" Carolyn asked.

"Lance is extremely reluctant to discuss any part of his life before he was taken to the orphanage. I suppose no one could blame him," Murray mused. "But he needs to deal with his past at some point, and so far he has not discussed his ordeals with anyone."

"Wait, not even with the other shrink?" David asked. Murray sighed.

"No. Not with anyone from what I gather," he said. "Plus I'm disturbed by one thing in particular. His father, the night he took a whip to Lance." Murray watched as David's eyes lit up with rage. "What I'm wondering about is what had changed that night."

"What are you talking about?" Carolyn said. "Lance's father was abusive. He was always hurting him."

"True," the psychiatrist nodded. "But according to the reports, his father would usually cool down and make sure Lance got some kind of treatment. How soon he did it seemed to depend on the severity of the injury: the more serious the injury, the sooner he would have Lance see someone." Murray took a deep breath.

"But that night was different," he continued. "He gave Lance some of the worst injuries he had ever received, but he seemed to have no intention of taking Lance to a doctor."

"He was trying to beat him to death," David said, seething. "He was going to let Lance die."

"Correct. So I'm wondering: what changed that night?"

"What does it matter?" Carolyn said tears forming in her eyes. Murray leaned toward the two of them.

"Because I think Lance knows exactly why his father whipped him, and he's terrified of the reason," he said gravely.

"Oh God," Carolyn said, putting her hand to her mouth. David didn't speak, just gripped his armrests tightly. "Doctor…what…should we..?" she said.

"No don't push him to tell you," Murray said. "I suspect it's too painful for him to share right now. I just want you to be aware that there are things Lance is dealing with that no one knows about. At some point he will probably want to tell someone. Based on what you've said, more than likely, it will be the two of you." Murray sat up straighter.

"When that time comes you will need to listen to him," he said. "Be strong for him and let him know that you will care for him no matter what he tells you. Do you understand?"

"We understand," David said as both he and Carolyn nodded.

"Good," the psychiatrist said. "Well, what I can tell you is that Lance is suffering from a sort of post-traumatic stress. It's like he's relives his past sometimes and that is what's giving him these panic attacks and nightmares. Plus he has extreme self-esteem issues; he doesn't feel he deserves any sort of happiness. Also he has severe trust issues."

"Can you help him?" David asked.

"Yes, I think so," Murray responded. "Fortunately Lance is stronger and more resilient that he may appear. Over time, with some guidance and care, I think he will find a way to deal with his past."

"What can we do?" David asked. Murray smiled at them.

"You're already doing what you need to do," he told them. "You're being loving, supportive parents. You're giving him stability, structure and security. And I think you should know that Lance is very fond of the both of you." The Sweets couldn't help but smile at that.

"We love him," Carolyn said.

"He knows," Murray said. "He doesn't completely understand it, but he knows you care for him. By the way, his adoption? Are you planning on finalizing it?"

"Yes," David said as he gave the psychiatrist another hard stare.

"I thought so," Murray nodded. "I just want you to understand what that means to Lance. In his mind, you are telling him that you want to replace the family he had before."

"Does he not want that?" Carolyn asked.

"It's a lot for him to deal with, especially considering his relationship with his father," he said. "But it's exactly what he wants. A good portion of the reason he was upset today is because he worries about it. Just give him time to get used to the idea." Murray leaned back and stared at David.

"Mrs. Sweets, could I speak to your husband alone for a moment?" he said.

"Sure," she said, a look of confusion on her face. She got up and leaned down to kiss her husband. "I'll go check on Lance," she said as she left the room. After she closed the door, Murray stood up and moved to stand in front of his desk.

"I think you know why I need to speak to you," the psychiatrist said. David nodded.

"Because I'm the one that has to stand in for that monster Lance had for a father," he said, shifting in his chair.

"Correct again Mr. Sweets,"

"Call me David."

"David, Lance's relationship with you is, in some ways, the most critical," Murray said, leaning to sit on the edge of his desk. "Carolyn will play an important role in his life too, as the mother he never had. But it was Lance's father who brutalized him. You will have to completely re-build that relationship with him and show him how a father and son should be. You have a very difficult responsibility, but Lance needs you terribly."

"I understand," David said, grimly. Murray gave him a half-smile.

"Yes, David. I believe you do. All too well." The two of them stood up and moved toward the door.

"My secretary is setting up a weekly appointment schedule and she will call you tomorrow to let you know what it is," Murray said. "Call me if the times will be inconvenient for you."

"Thank you, Doctor Murray," David said. The two of them walked into the waiting area to find Carolyn sitting on the couch with Lance laying down and resting his head in her lap. He was fast asleep.

"Oh, David, Doctor Murray," she whispered as she saw them approach. "He was so tired."

"He's had a trying day," David murmured. He reached over and nudged Lance's shoulder. "Hey sport, it's time to go home," Lance groaned and turned over to his side without waking up. David let out a huge gust of air.

"What am I going to do with you?" he said ruefully. He then crouched down and carefully lifted Lance off Carolyn's lap and into his arms. Lance shifted to rest against David's chest and clung to him, still not waking up. David turned to Murray.

"We will see you next week," he whispered. Then the Sweets walked out of the office to take Lance home. Murray watched them leave.

'_The boy is in excellent hands,'_ he thought. '_They will do more for him than I ever could. Especially David.'_

* * *

The Sweets continued to take Lance to see Doctor Murray once a week after that. Meanwhile, David researched the private schools in the area and found one that he was particularly interested in. It boasted of small class sizes and a challenging academic environment. He went over the paperwork with Carolyn late one night in the dining room.

"It's what Lance needs," he said. "He should be in an accelerated program with his gifts."

"I agree that Lance is too gifted for normal classes," Carolyn said looking over the application forms. "But do you think this will be ok for him? That it won't be too overwhelming?"

"Carolyn, both Lauren and Murray have said that Lance has no problems in a classroom setting. If anything, Lauren seemed to think that Lance wasn't being challenged enough."

"But, Lauren also said that Lance was having problems relating to the other children," she said. David put his hand on Carolyn's wrist.

"He needs to learn to interact with people his own age," he said. "We can't shelter him from everything. He needs to stand on his own some to grow. Besides, maybe he would do better around other gifted children. He could see that he's not as different as he may think he is."

"You're right. I know you're right," Carolyn said. "I just can't help but worry about him."

"Believe me I understand," David nodded. "I know that when I see him, every protective instinct I have fires up. But remember what his therapist said: Lance is stronger than he looks. We need to support him, not coddle him." Carolyn nodded and smiled as she looked at the paperwork again.

You're right," she said. "I think Lance will like a school like this. He seems to really love to learn things."

The next day the Sweets sent in an application to the school for the fall and set up an appointment for Lance to be tested in a couple weeks.

* * *

Lance progressed under Murray's care, but the Sweets still struggled with his issues. Often, Lance slept in the same bed with them so that when he woke up from his nightmares, he wouldn't be alone. Or he would ask that one of them stay in his room all night, with the night light on, while he slept. David bought him a plush teddy bear to sleep with and, while Lance seemed to like it, he still did not like to sleep alone. He did not repeat the incident where he smashed at his hand, but the Sweets still had to deal with Lance's panic attacks.

Those scared the Sweets the most simply because they were so random.

One day, Carolyn had left Lance home with David so that she could go grocery shopping. David was working on something in his study, and Lance was sitting near a window in the front room.

At one point he saw a man yelling at a child. Lance guessed the man was the child's father. As the father's yelling got more vigorous, it triggered a memory in Lance.

A time of yelling, pain and then darkness.

David walked into the front room a few minutes later and found Lance sitting on the floor breathing way too deeply and quickly. Soon he made a gasping sound as he struggled to take a full breath. His eyes were wide open and unseeing.

David ran over and sat beside Lance on the floor.

"Lance. Lance can you hear me?" he said. David reached over and took Lance into his arms, and then took his chin and forced him to look at him.

"Lance, calm down. Relax," David said, struggling to remain calm himself. "Breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out." He took slow, exaggerated breaths and Lance tried to copy him.

"That's it," David said as he heard Lance's breathing become more normal. "Just breathe." He held Lance closer to him.

"You're safe now," he murmured as he rubbed circles into Lance's back. "It's all right now." Lance finally began to relax. As he looked up at David he stared to sniffle.

"David," he said his voice wobbly with tears.

"What is it sport?" he said as he sat Lance up.

"Sometimes…sometimes I remember things. Scary things." His breath hitched a bit. David nodded and rubbed Lance's arm. "I don't want to remember them anymore." Lance looked up at him, his eyes shiny.

"Please…make me not remember," Lance pleaded. David held him close again.

"I'm sorry Lance. I wish I could, but I can't. I'm so sorry that I can't," he said. "Just know that you're safe now." David tightened his embrace.

"Anytime you remember those scary things, just come to Carolyn or me. You can stay with us until you're not scared, all right?" He pulled Lance away a bit so he could look him in the eye.

"If you need to tell us…tell us anything. About scary dreams or anything else, we'll be here. All right?" David said. Tears still swam in Lance's eyes, but he nodded. David pat his back, and let him go. Lance rose to his feet unsteadily. David got up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy Lance. You need to sit down?" Lance staggered over to a nearby couch and plopped down, putting his head in his hands. David sat down beside him.

Are you ok sport?" he asked concern growing. _'He was hyperventilating when I found him. How long had he been like that?'_

Lance finally looked up at him and nodded. His lower lip trembled and he opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it and looked down and fidgeted. David put his arm around Lance's shoulders and he jumped a little.

"Lance, do you want to tell me something now?" Lance sniffed and nodded. David leaned back on the couch and let Lance lean against him. The two of them sat quietly for a moment and David rubbed Lance's arm while he waited for him to speak.

"Daddy…Daddy sometimes had his friends come over. His girlfriends," Lance finally said. "Daddy didn't like it when I was around while they were there. Not at first. Some of his friends were nice. Some…didn't like me very much." David nodded and pat Lance's arm a few times.

"One time he brought home one his girlfriends…she was one of the ones that didn't like me," he continued. "I stayed in my room, under my bed, like Daddy told me to. And I waited. I waited a long time. But then I got hungry." Lance stopped and started to sniffle harder.

"It's ok Lance," David said gently.

"I really wanted to eat. So I went to the kitchen, but I couldn't reach the cereal. I went to the bedroom to ask Daddy for it. Daddy and the girl they were…um they were…"

"I understand sport," David interjected.

"They saw me and Daddy got really mad. I tried to tell him sorry, but he….started hitting me. Really hard," Lance gulped. David squeezed him closer to him.

"He kept hitting me. And then he put me in the closet again," Lance said whimpering.

"Lance did he put you in the closet a lot?" David said his voice tightly controlled.

"Only when I was bad," Lance whispered. "But I was bad a lot." He finally started to cry. "It was so dark in there…and I….tried so hard to be good."

"I'm sure you were good," David said. "I'm sure you were."

"But, daddies are supposed to love their kids," Lance blubbered. "Daddy didn't love me, so I must have been bad."

"Daddies are supposed to love their children," David said. "But some daddies don't learn how, and some are just bad people. What your father did to you was wrong."

"That's why he's in jail," Lance said starting to calm down.

"That's right Lance," he said. "What he did to you was not your fault. It had nothing to do with how good or bad you were. Nothing at all."

After a couple minutes Lance stopped crying. He leaned against David again.

"Feel better now sport?"

"Yes, thank you,"

"Anytime sport. Remember that, anytime you need to talk, you come to us. Understand?"

"I understand," Lance said getting off the couch and standing up.

"Good," David said with a yawn. He laid down onto his back on the couch. He was glad Lance confided in him, but he had to admit that the past few weeks were taking their toll on him. Moments after lying down he fell asleep.

Carolyn came home a few minutes later. After dropping off the groceries in the kitchen, she went to the front room to find David still asleep on the couch. Lying next to him, his head on David's shoulder was Lance. As Carolyn moved closer, she saw that he was laying there with his eyes open, watching David sleep. He looked over at her.

"He's tired," Lance whispered. Carolyn smiled at him.

"We'll let him sleep until I have dinner ready," she whispered. Lance nodded and went back to watching him sleep. Carolyn continued to beam at them and then went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She almost wished she could take a picture of the scene in the front room, but she didn't want to disturb them.

Besides she doubted that she would forget it any time soon.


	10. Year One, Adjustment, part 3

Author's note: Success. I was able to get this in before the weekend. I was hoping to.

I'm not sure what the next thing will be that I'll post. I'm almost ready to start Year Two, but I'm actually writing out a one-shot based around the latest Bones episode (BOTBL) right now as well. I guess we'll see what happens...

As always thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I'm quite grateful.

Despite my wishes, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Warning: Um....is there a warning for excessive fluff....? ;)

Year One—Adjustment—part 3

After a couple of quiet weeks spent at home, the Sweets took Lance to be tested by one of the teachers at the school where they applied. They were nervous that Lance might feel pressured to do well, but were happy to see that once he got used to his surroundings and the teacher, he completely focused on the task at hand. He even seemed to be enjoying himself at times.

David and Carolyn then waited for a couple of days afterward for the results. David spent that time working out the details of the sale of his boat, and Carolyn began buying supplies for the upcoming school year. Soon the school called them for a meeting with the dean to go over the results and their application. As soon as the Sweets and Lance arrived at his office they were greeted by a short, balding man who looked to be in his 50s.

"Hello there. I'm Dean Fry," he said warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you." After exchanging pleasantries and settling Lance down in a plastic chair with yet another book, the Sweets sat with Fry in his office.

"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Sweets…" he looked down at a file. "I see you are the boy's adoptive parents?"

"Correct," David said.

"Well, looking over his test scores, I see that he is quite a remarkable young man," the dean said. "He definitely belongs in our gifted students program. I see no problem with accepting him." He shuffled some papers around while the Sweets smiled at each other. Fry finally looked up at them again.

"Now he would be starting out in first grade when we admit him, but if his test scores are any indication, he should be swiftly moved along an accelerated grade progression," he said.

"You mean he could skip grades?" Carolyn asked, surprised.

"Indeed, Mrs. Sweets," Fry answered her, looking back down at the file. "In fact, based on what I'm seeing, I wouldn't be surprised if he graduates high school by the time he's 14 or 15 years old."

"Are you sure that's a good thing?" Carolyn said cautiously.

"Don't worry. Our students are required to pass careful assessments before they are allowed to advance at an accelerated rate," he continued dryly. "Our standards are actually higher than the ones in place for public schools. If the boy is allowed to skip grades, it will be because he is more than qualified to." Setting the file down, he looked up to be met by David's gaze.

"I think what Carolyn means is, would graduating from high school at 14 necessarily be a good thing," he said. "I mean the next step would be college, wouldn't it? College at 14?"

"Perhaps it would be best to simply enroll the lad and see how he performs before making any long-term decisions," Fry said, a gentle smile forming on his lips. "After all he is only six; we should wait and see how he develops. If it looks promising, we shouldn't be afraid to help him live up to his full potential."

David and Carolyn looked at each other and nodded.

"Excellent," the dean said. "Now if you would just fill out a few more forms, we can have this settled."

The Sweets spent time filling out additional forms and talking over the matters of payment. School would begin in three weeks and they would need to pay for the first year's tuition by next week. They would also need to buy Lance some school uniforms, but David had finalized the sale of his boat, so the Sweets were not concerned about the cost.

The drive home afterwards was a quiet one with David and Carolyn trying to absorb what they had been told in their meeting with Fry. They knew Lance was gifted, but they never considered the possibility that he was some sort of prodigy. It made them a bit nervous. Granted, the Sweets could not be considered dumb. David had actually graduated in the top ten percent of his class in college and while Carolyn did not go to college, she was known for being well-read and almost self-educated. Still, both of them wondered the same thing.

'_Are we the right people to raise a child like this?'_

_

* * *

_Three weeks went by swiftly and soon Lance started going to school. It was a bit bittersweet for Carolyn; she had gotten used to having Lance home all day. David never said anything about it, but Carolyn could have sworn that she saw a tear in his eye the first day they dropped Lance off at school.

Carolyn soon found herself trying to adjust to being the mother of a school aged child: making sure Lance got up and went to bed at a decent time every day, fussing over him as he got ready for school, checking on things like homework being done. David asked his boss to send some light work his way to do at home to keep him busy.

Lance quickly grew to like his new school. While he never spoke of the other kids there, he talked quite a bit about his teachers and the types of school work they would have him do.

After a couple more months, Carolyn got the shock of her life one day as she dropped Lance off at school.

"Now you have a good day and I'll see you when I come to pick you up," she told him as they sat in the car in the parking lot. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you." Lance nodded and grabbed his backpack as he opened the car door.

"Thanks Mom. I love you too. Goodbye," he said getting out and shutting the door behind him. She watched him walk into the school, stunned.

'_He called me "Mom",'_ she thought to herself. It had been so casual, so offhand. But it made her smile and tear up with happiness.

From that point on, Lance always referred to Carolyn as 'Mom'.

She had told David about it that night while Lance was in his room working on homework. She instantly regretted it as she watched him nod with a neutral expression on his face. Lance had never called him 'Dad' and at times David speculated that he may never do so.

"David, I'm sorry," she said. "I know Lance cares for you. I'm sure eventually he'll…"

"It's all right, Carolyn," he smiled at her. "He never really had a mother, so it's nice that he can have that with you."

That seemed to settle it, but Carolyn still wished things were different.

* * *

November came and Lance finally had a whole week off for vacation from school to celebrate Thanksgiving. At Doctor Murray's suggestion, the Sweets even gave Lance the week off from therapy sessions. All of them were looking forward to spending the holiday together.

Unfortunately, it did not go as smoothly as they had hoped.

It started on the Saturday after Lance's last day of school. Carolyn noticed that he seemed rather listless and asked Lance if he felt all right. He kept saying that he was tired, and spent most of the day sleeping. By Sunday, Lance seemed to move about in a slow, robotic manner and barely spoke. The Sweets grew concerned, but Lance didn't seem to be upset about anything. That evening they sat down at dinner and they noticed that Lance only picked at his food.

"Lance, do you want something else to eat?" Carolyn asked. Lance shook his head and remained silent.

"Are you all right, sport?" David asked. Lance shook his head again.

"I don't feel good," he said, getting up from the table. Suddenly he stumbled and dropped to his bottom to sit on the floor. Once there he leaned forward and held his stomach. David and Carolyn got up and moved to kneel down beside him.

"Lance, what's wrong? Talk to us," Carolyn said grabbing his arm. Lance groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Don't feel good…my stomach," he moaned. David put a hand to Lance's forehead. It was hot to the touch, and sweat had begun to bead near his hairline. Lance groaned one more time and then promptly vomited onto the floor. After the first time, he threw up twice more until there was nothing left to expel and Lance could only gasp with dry heaves. David stood and picked Lance up.

"I'm taking him to the bathroom. Call Doctor Colinablanca," David said. Carolyn nodded and quickly got up to head for the phone. David carried him into the bathroom and helped to remove Lance's vomit-stained shirt. He then leaned him against the toilet.

"Stay there, Lance," he told him and he wet a washcloth under the faucet. "If you feel sick again, just lean over the toilet."

"I'm sorry," Lance coughed, still clutching his stomach. He began to gasp a bit, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. David sat down beside him and began to dab the cool washcloth against Lance's forehead.

"Shh, it's ok. You're sick, you couldn't help it," he said. "Stomach still hurt?" Lance nodded.

"Cold too," he said beginning to shiver. David held him tight for a moment; he could feel Lance struggling to breathe and it frightened him.

"Lance, I'm going to get you some new clothes, ok?" David said. "Just stay here." He watched Lance lie down on the floor onto his side and cough. As David walked out of the bathroom, he ran into Carolyn.

"The doctor wants to know how he is," Carolyn said.

"He's burning with fever, but he says he's cold," David answered. "He hasn't thrown up again, but now he's coughing and having a hard time breathing."

"I'll tell her," Carolyn said.

"I'm going to get him some new clothes and a blanket for him," he said. Carolyn rushed back to finish her phone call, while David ran up the stairs. After grabbing a comforter and a warm set of pajamas from Lance's closet, David hurried back down to the bathroom. Carolyn was already there, holding Lance.

"David, she wants us to take him to the emergency room," she said. David handed her the pajamas, and the two of them re-dressed Lance. David then wrapped Lance into the comforter and picked him up into his arms to carry him. He could feel the heat radiating from Lance's head, but he also felt the shudders as Lance shivered and coughed.

"Ok sport, we're going to the hospital now," David said as he carried Lance along to the front door.

"Cold. Stomach hurts. Chest too," Lance gasped. David tightened his hold.

"Hang on Lance. We're taking you to the doctor and they'll make you feel better," he said as Carolyn grabbed David's wallet and key, some coats and her purse by the front door as they walked out.

While riding in the back seat with Lance, Carolyn was sure David was breaking every traffic law ever conceived. But that didn't stop her from wishing he would get there faster.

"Mom…feel so bad," Lance moaned.

"It's ok baby, just relax," Carolyn said softly. "We'll be there soon." Lance closed his eyes and continued to gasp and wheeze. Carolyn took his hand and used her other one to smooth his hair. She began weep a bit, but tried to hide it the best she could.

"He'll be all right, Carolyn," David said from the front seat. She nodded and began to wonder if he said that to reassure her or himself.

They soon drove into the parking lot of the hospital and parked near the emergency room entrance. David quickly lifted Lance out of the car and carried him inside. By this point, Lance was barely semi-conscious and merely coughed again and groaned at all the sudden movement. After a few tense moments at the front desk, where David insisted on Lance being seen as soon as possible, they were able to have him taken back to be examined by a couple of nurses.

The Sweets then settled in with some forms to fill out. David had left at one point to call both Colinablanca and Lauren to inform them of what was going on and to ask them to talk to the staff at the hospital. He then joined Carolyn to finish filling out the forms. After that, all they could do was wait. Sitting there with nothing more to do, Carolyn finally started to cry.

"It's going to be ok, Carolyn," David said. But she could hear in his voice that he was just as worried as she was. She leaned over and let David hold her.

After what felt like hours, David got up and went to ask about Lance's condition. One of the nurses, who had escorted Lance back, was standing nearby. She gave David an ugly stare. He spotted her and walked over to her.

"Please, you went back with my son, Lance. How is he?" he asked. The nurse narrowed her eyes at him.

"I couldn't tell you," she said coldly. "You'll have to wait for the doctor." She then stalked off. David stood there, confused by her response.

"David? Carolyn?"

The Sweets looked over to see Lauren walking over to them. Carolyn got up and stood by David.

"Lauren, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Someone at the hospital called Social Services," she explained. "I was available so I came out." She then began to look concerned. "Wait a minute….David, Carolyn, have you been able to see Lance yet?"

"No," David answered. "They won't tell me anything." Lauren closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. The nurse from earlier saw Lauren and walked over to her.

"You're from Social Services aren't you?" she said. "We called you?"

"Wait a minute; did you call them about Lance?" David said. "Do you think we hurt him somehow?" He felt sick at the thought.

"We saw his back," the nurse snapped. "What would you call that?"

"We didn't do that to him," David said angrily. "We would never hurt him." David took a deep breath to try to regain control. "I want to see my son," he said, his voice low and forceful.

"Excuse me."

Everyone looked over to see a man in a white coat walking over to them. The nurse faced him and straightened her posture.

"Doctor Stapleton, I…" But the doctor walked past her and over to the Sweets and Lauren.

"Are you Mr. and Mrs. Sweets?" he asked them. They both nodded. Lauren moved closer to the doctor.

"I'm Lauren MacArthur. We talked on the phone Doctor Stapleton."

"Yes, yes," he said looking back at David and Carolyn. "I want to apologize. I got the call from Mrs. MacArthur a little while ago but have been so busy treating Lance that I hadn't had the chance to inform all my nurses of the situation." He turned to the nurse.

"These people are the boy's adoptive parents," he told her. "They have been taking care of him ever since he had to be taken away from his father." After a moment, realization began to show on the nurse's face and she turned scarlet.

"I…I'm sorry," she said looking down. She quickly left.

"I'm sorry about all this," Stapleton said. "I'm sure she was only trying to protect the boy. I can't say that I wasn't disturbed myself when I saw his scars. I might have thought the same thing."

"How is he?" Carolyn said.

"He's stable now," the doctor answered. "Lance has pneumonia."

"Again," Lauren sighed, her eyes sad.

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "I was able to go over the boy's medical history that Doctor Colinablanca had sent over. It's rather serious that he has it again after only about a year, so I want to keep him in the hospital overnight. After that he should be able to go home. He'll need to rest, get plenty of fluids and take some medicine that I will be giving you. Hopefully he should be all right in about a week."

"Thank you Doctor," David said. _'There goes his holiday vacation. I'm so sorry Lance,'_ he thought to himself.

"Can we see him?" Carolyn pleaded.

"He's been calling for you," the doctor smiled wearily. "Come with me."

"I will call you later," Lauren said, leaving in the opposite direction.

After a short trip down the hallway, the Sweets were led into Lance's room. He laid there in a bed, his pajamas replaced by a hospital gown. His hair was matted down to his head with sweat, and his face was white. His eyes were closed, but he seemed too restless to be asleep. David and Carolyn walked over to him. Carolyn placed a hand on Lance's forehead.

"Lance. Lance, baby. It's Mom," Carolyn murmured at him. Lance moaned and shifted in bed. David reached for his hand.

"Hey sport, can you open your eyes for us?" he said. Lance groaned again and turned his face toward them. Soon the Sweets were greeted by a pair of large chocolate eyes staring at them.

"Mom," Lance mumbled. "Feel hot." He tried shifting the blankets around him.

"Shh, lay still Lance," Carolyn said gently. "You need to rest."

"Thirsty."

"I'll get you something," Carolyn said walking toward the door. She went to look for a nurse. David moved closer to the bed and stroked Lance's hair.

"I'm sorry sport. Looks like you're pretty sick," he said. "I know that's a lousy way to spend your vacation, but we'll try to make the best of it for you, I promise." Lance nodded and turned to his side in the bed. After moment of silence, Lance spoke.

"David?"

"Yes, Lance."

"Would it…would it be all right if I…I…" Lance stopped to cough and looked away from him. David sat down on the edge of his bed and began rubbing Lance's shoulders.

"What is it you want sport?" Lance turned back to him, still looking downward.

"Can I call you Dad?" Lance said in a tiny voice. David smiled.

"Of course you can," he said his voice thick with emotion. "You're my son now, and I'm your father." He pulled the sheets tighter around Lance's shoulders. David watched as his eyes closed again. He leaned close to him.

"Rest now," David whispered. After hesitating for a moment he gave a very light kiss to the top of Lance's head. "I love you."

"Love you too, Dad," Lance's voice slurred as he fell into a dreamless sleep. David pulled up a chair to watch over him. Carolyn walked in with a paper cup in her hand and noticed David's shiny eyes.

"David…is he…is he all right?" she asked. He turned to her and grinned. "What is it?" she asked puzzled by his expression.

"He called me 'Dad'."


	11. Year Two, Conflict, part 1

Author's Note: Ah...now that holidays are over, back to it.

This chapter came out kind of long. Sorry about that...

Once again, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. Glad to see that people are enjoying it. It's been fun to write....although I still have a long way to go....

As previously stated, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Warning: this chapter is also rather dark

Year Two—Conflict—part 1

Lauren MacArthur usually looked forward to visiting the Sweets' home these days. It had been a little over a year since she had placed Lance with David and Carolyn, and with every visit she made, she was overjoyed with the changes she saw in Lance.

Now she was visiting for a different reason entirely than evaluating Lance and the Sweets. It was time to finalize the adoption so that David and Carolyn could have permanent legal custody of Lance. They all had been looking forward to this time.

Unfortunately things were not going to go as planned.

Lauren walked up to the front door and rang the bell. After a couple of moments, Carolyn appeared at the door.

"Lauren, hi. Come on in," she said, moving aside to let her come in. Once inside she gave Lauren a quick hug.

"Hello Carolyn," she said. Carolyn closed the door, and the two of them walked further into the house.

"So where are they?" Lauren asked. Just then they heard a child's laugh come from the family room. They turned to each other and smiled.

"I think we just found them," Carolyn giggled. They walked over to the family room to find David sitting on the couch with Lance, watching television. At the sight of Carolyn and Lauren walking in, David turned off the TV.

"Lauren. Good to see you," David smiled. Lance got off the couch and ran over to Lauren.

"Hi Lauren," Lance said. Lauren smiled and reached down to embrace him. Lance not only accepted it; he hugged her back.

"Hello Lance. It's so good to see you," she said. As she stood back up and looked down at him, Lauren contemplated just how true that statement was.

Lance looked like quite a different child than the sad, broken boy that she had placed with the Sweets. At seven years old, Lance had grown two inches and, while still slim, was a much healthier weight now. His eyes were bright and cheery and shined with intelligence. He smiled and laughed much more easily now, and didn't just speak in a small timid voice. He was doing well in school and no longer seemed terrified of strangers.

There were still some issues. He still suffered from occasional nightmares and still had panic attacks. Sometimes he would become saddened and distant. He still did not like to be touched by most people and struggled to make any friends with anyone his own age.

Still those issues would seem minor when faced with the obviously happy child standing in front of Lauren.

Lauren knew that David and Carolyn had done a lot for Lance, but he had done a lot for them as well. While the Sweets were sometimes stressed, overwhelmed and heart-broken over the past year, they also seemed happier and more at peace than they had been in a long time. Lance seemed to only bring them closer together as husband and wife.

It was perhaps David who showed the most change after Lance. Lance clearly loved Carolyn and thought of her as his mother. But he bonded with David on a very deep level as father and son. If Lance were asked who his father was, he would say 'David Sweets' without hesitation. Almost as if Andrew Jensen was nothing more than a bad memory. As a result, David became even closer and more devoted to him.

Lauren hated to break up this happy moment, but she had to tell the Sweets the truth behind her visit.

"Lance, I need to talk to David and Carolyn about some things for a while," she said. "And we need some privacy, ok?" David stood up and pat Lance on the back.

"Lance, go ahead and go to your room to play for a while," he said. "Later we can have dinner with Lauren." Lance's face fell a little, but he nodded.

"Ok, Dad. See you later Lauren." Lance then ran out of the room. David sat back down on the couch, and Carolyn sat down beside him while Lauren settled into a nearby chair.

"David, I will never get tired of saying this: you and Carolyn have done such a wonderful job taking care of Lance," she said. David chuckled a little while he put his arm around Carolyn.

"Lance is a great kid," he said. "He just needed a chance to show that." David shifted in his seat. "So, what's up?" Lauren sighed and hung her head a bit.

"Well as you know, it's about time to finish the adoption procedure to finalize Lance's adoption," she said. "As it turns out we will be going to court to…"

"Wait a minute. I thought we were just going to sign some papers in front of a judge after he went over our case files," Carolyn interrupted. Lauren gave another deep sigh.

"That's why I'm here," she said shaking her head. "It's become…complicated. You will need to consult a lawyer."

"Why?" Carolyn asked. "The adoption is all legal. We've passed every inspection, every assessment. Lance is doing fine in school and his therapist says that…"

During Carolyn's speech, Lauren noticed that David's eyes were growing intense, brightening with realization and then with anger.

"It's him, isn't it?" he growled, cutting Carolyn off. Lauren nodded, and Carolyn looked back and forth between them.

"I'm so sorry, David," Lauren said. David's jaw clenched, and he moved his arm away from Carolyn as his posture stiffened.

"David? What does she mean?" Carolyn asked.

"I'm afraid Mr. Jensen is objecting to the adoption," Lauren said. "He now says he was coerced into signing away his parental rights. Plus, since Miss Place has never responded to the notices for the adoption procedures, Jensen's lawyer is claiming that the adoption is not truly valid."

"He can't do that, can he?" Carolyn said, her voice starting to quake. "I mean, he didn't love Lance. He hurt him so badly. How could he…" David leapt to his feet and began to pace.

"He doesn't have the right," he said. "He lost his right to have any say in Lance's life the first time he raised a hand to him."

"Unfortunately he does have the right because the adoption is not yet final, and he is Lance's father," Lauren said.

"No!" David said forcefully, turning toward her. "_**I**_ am his father."

"I know you are David," Lauren said. "You've been more of a father to Lance than Jensen ever was. But legally, as his biological father, Jensen has rights."

Why is he doing this?" Carolyn asked, tears in her eyes. "He didn't want Lance; he never did."

"I don't really know, Carolyn," Lauren sighed. "It's not like he's getting out of prison any time soon. But apparently he has recently gotten it into his head that he does not want his son 'belonging' to other people."

"He's not getting Lance back," David said, his voice grave. "I will never let him go back so that monster can hurt him again."

"No David, he's not going back to Jensen," Lauren said hurriedly. In the back of her mind, she worried that David would act on that promise and do whatever he believed was necessary to keep Lance safe.

David threw himself to sit back down on the couch, clearly agitated.

"The problem is while Jensen cannot actually take custody of Lance for many years, he could get him taken out of your home and back into the foster system," Lauren continued. "He can make it so you can never adopt him." Carolyn began to cry and David put his arms around her.

"Lauren, we can't let that happen," she cried. "Lance…he needs us. He's finally starting to recover from what that man did to him. He finally feels loved and like a part of a family. Taking him away from us…" Carolyn gasped as she tried to stop crying. "It will only hurt him," she said.

"Carolyn, David, we're going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening," Lauren said, her voice soft, but firm. "I have a couple of excellent child custody lawyers in mind that you can consult. While Jensen is Lance's biological father, he did sign away his rights, and he has a lot of strikes against him. We simply need to prove that it's in Lance's best interests that he stays with the two of you." David grimaced as Carolyn finally stopped crying.

"We'll have to go to court and put Lance through all that" Carolyn said. "His therapist says that he is still uncomfortable with talking about his past."

"I know you don't want to put him through that," Lauren said. "But Carolyn, Lance will have to face this if you are going to fight for him." Carolyn shook her head, and David let her go.

"Lauren's right," he said. "We have to be strong and fight for him. That's part of being a parent. Lance is a strong boy; he would want us to stand with him and do what's best for him." Carolyn nodded and wiped the rest of her tears away.

"We're his parents. He's our son. We are not giving him up," she said.

"Good. That's the attitude you're going to have to have for this," Lauren said. Carolyn got up and started to leave the room.

"I…I need to finish up dinner," she said. Lauren got up as well.

"I should go," she said but David stood to stop her.

"No don't," he said. "Lance wants you here. You're his friend and ours. Please have dinner with us."

"All right," she said, sitting back down and watching Carolyn leave.

The two of them went over some additional paperwork, and Lauren helped David decide on a lawyer to contact. After a while, Carolyn came back out to them.

"Dinner's almost ready," she told them. "I should get Lance." David got up.

"No, I'll get him. You go ahead and finish up," he told her, walking out of the room. Carolyn watched him leave and wrung her hands a bit. Lauren got up and walked over to her.

"I know you want to protect David," Lauren told her. "But you know that he would do anything for his family." She put a hand on Carolyn's shoulder. "Believe in his strength," she told her. "Believe in Lance's too. David's right; he's a strong child."

* * *

Upstairs, David knocked on Lance's door and then opened it to walk in. Lance was sitting on his bed reading a book. When he saw David, he smiled and put his book down onto his nightstand.

"Is dinner ready?" he asked. "I'm hungry." David smiled and nodded. "Is Lauren staying?"

"Yes, sport. Lauren is having dinner with us." Lance stared into his father's eyes and his face fell.

"What's wrong?" he said. David gave a half-hearted laugh. _'I should have known he would notice that I was upset,'_ he thought. He reached out and tousled Lance's hair.

"After dinner," he said. "Then we need to talk about something important. All right?" Lance got to his feet and nodded, his demeanor more subdued.

"Ok," he said. The two of them then went downstairs to eat.

Dinner was like an elaborate dance. Lance was doing his part to seem unaffected by telling Lauren about all his latest activities at school, but David could hear the hint of agitation in his voice. Lauren and Carolyn did their best to remain calm and cheerful, but still seemed distracted. David caught Lance watching them carefully throughout the meal. If Lance saw that David was watching him, Lance would quickly shift his gaze. _'It would almost be a comedy if Lance wasn't so worried,' _David thought to himself.

After dinner they all moved back out to the family room and sat down. Lance sat between David and Carolyn this time on the couch while Lauren resumed her seat from before. David took a deep breath.

"Lance, we need to tell you what is going on," he said. Both Lauren and Carolyn goggled at him.

"David," Carolyn said. "He shouldn't have to worry…"

"But he already knows something's wrong," David interrupted. "Let's not let him wonder what it is. He needs to hear this." Lauren shook her head. She had noticed that Lance was watching her during dinner, but she hadn't thought anything of it until just now. _'Leave it to David to catch that first,'_ she thought. _'He can read Lance better than anyone.'_

"Carolyn, I think David is right," she said. Carolyn sighed, defeated, and nodded her head. Lance kept turning his head to look at all of them.

"What's going on?" he said. "Did I…did I do something wrong?" Carolyn put her arm around him.

"No, baby. You did nothing wrong at all," she said as she looked over to David. He leaned forward and Lance moved to sit closer to him. David then proceeded to tell him everything: about the adoption, about Andrew Jensen, and about the inevitable court proceedings. After he was done, Lance hung his head and sat still; his eyes glued to the floor. His shoulders began to shake a little.

"Lance?" Carolyn said, reaching out to take his hand. As she took it, she heard him sniffle.

"Please," his voice wobbled while still not looking up. "Please don't send me back. I don't want to go back to him." Carolyn squeezed his hand.

"No Lance, no," she said softly. "You're not going back to him. You're not." Lance suddenly let go of her hand and jumped off the couch so he could stand and face them. His face was angry, his eyes dark.

"You said that I could stay with you," his voice rising. "You said that you were my family now. But you didn't mean it." Lance turned away from them and clenched his hands into fists. David stood up and took Lance by the shoulder and turned him to face him.

"Now you listen to me," David said, firmly. "Your mother and I meant it when we said that you were part of our family. We are not going to just stand by and let that man take you away from us. Now I know you are upset, but you will not talk to us that way." Lance's eyes narrowed, and he began to breathe harder. David softened his voice.

"Your mother and I, Lauren, we are all going to fight to keep you here and we won't give up," he said. "But you are going to have to help us too. Do you understand?" Lance backed away from them.

"No!" he yelled. "I don't want to. I don't to be with any of you."

"Lance," David said, his voice steely. "Go to your room. Now." Lance opened his mouth to say something, but David held up a hand to stop him.

"No, Lance. Go now. I will talk to you later." David's voice made it clear that there would be no argument. Lance stared at him for a moment more and then turned and stomped out of the room. In a moment, they heard his bedroom door slam.

"Maybe this was a mistake," Lauren whispered. David turned back to her and Carolyn. His shoulders had slumped a little, but his expression was resolute.

"No, he needs to know what is going on," David said. "We all know that there was no way we could keep this from him."

"He's so angry, so scared," Carolyn said sadly. David shook his head.

"I know," he said. "He has every reason to be angry and scared. But we can't let him act that way; he needs to learn that." Carolyn got up and put her arm around him.

"I will call you tomorrow," Lauren said, getting up to leave. "We'll make arrangements to see a lawyer and then we can arrange a court time."

"Thank you Lauren, for everything," Carolyn said. Lauren smiled at them.

"It's going to work out," she said. "I'm sure of it. Anyone can see that you're good parents, and that Lance belongs with you."

* * *

After Lauren left, the Sweets went to do their evening chores. When they were finished, David and Carolyn sat together on the front room couch. Soon, she touched David's arm.

"I should get Lance ready for bed," she said. David gave her a kiss.

"Go ahead," he said. "But I don't think he deserves a story tonight." Carolyn nodded and kissed him before going to Lance's room.

She opened the door and found Lance staring out the window. She walked over to him quietly.

"Lance, it's time to get ready for bed," she said. He turned to her, his face red.

"Mom…I'm sorry," he blubbered. "I'm sorry I yelled. I didn't mean it." Carolyn moved to embrace him.

"We know you didn't, and we forgive you," she said, holding him close. "But you can't yell at us like that. We're your parents, and you can't treat us that way. Understand?" Lance nodded and looked down.

"Good," she said. She let him go and went to his dresser to get out a set of pajamas for him to change into. "Now go ahead and get ready for bed. They'll be no story tonight because of how you acted, but when you're ready, I'll tuck you in for the night. Ok?" Lance nodded again and took his pajamas and left the room.

After a few minutes he came back and found Carolyn pulling his bed sheets out for him. He climbed into bed and Carolyn wrapped his blankets around him and sat his teddy bear at the head of the bed next to him.

"There," she said. "Sweet dreams, Lance." She leaned in to kiss him on the forehead.

"Mom."

"What is it, baby?" Lance swallowed hard.

"Dad's still mad, isn't he?" Carolyn reached down and smoothed his hair.

"A little perhaps," she said. "But he still loves you. You know that. Now, go to sleep and you can speak to him in the morning." She turned on his night light and turned off the main lights.

"Good night Mom," he said, a little muffled. Carolyn left the door open a little bit; they never completely closed it so that they could hear Lance from their room if he needed them.

Lance pulled the blankets over his head and hid underneath them. Soon he began to think about Andrew and the life he had with him. The punishments, the loneliness, the fear.

'_Damn it Lance, I told you to be quiet.'_

'_You never mind. Ever. Well maybe this will teach you.'_

'_You're such a stupid kid. No wonder your whore of a mother ran out on you.'_

Lance didn't tell anyone, but sometimes he could still hear Andrew's voice in his head. It would come to him, unbidden, and it was almost like Andrew was in the same room with him. Once there, it was almost impossible for him to get that voice out of his head.

At least it was when he was alone.

* * *

David eventually trudged up the stairs to his room. Carolyn had long since gone to bed, and she had chided him about his not having gone up to see Lance before she finished putting him to bed. He brushed it off at the time and wrapped himself up into the paperwork that Lauren had left behind. But now while passing by Lance's bedroom door, he began to feel guilty. He decided to go in and check on him.

He couldn't see Lance, but he could see a lump on the bed where he was hiding under the covers. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Lance," he whispered. "It's Dad." He put a hand where he figured Lance's shoulder would be, and felt shaking underneath. David pulled back the blanket and found Lance curled into a fetal ball. He looked like he'd been crying, but now seemed to be almost in some sort of trance. David saw that his lips were moving, and leaned in to try to hear what Lance was saying.

"I didn't want it.I didn't want it.I didn't want it," Lance chanted over and over again. David felt his insides freeze. _'What didn't he want?_ He reached over and shook Lance's shoulder.

"Lance, wake up," he said. "Come on, wake up sport." Lance jerked violently, but calmed down a little when he saw David's face. "It's ok now," David said. "You're safe."

"Dad," Lance said his voice watery. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I didn't mean it." David lifted him up toward him and held him tight against his chest.

"Shh, it's ok. I forgive you," he soothed. Soon he felt tears soak his shirt. David rocked him slightly while he held him. After a few minutes, Lance raised his head to look at him.

"Dad, I'm scared," he said. "I was remembering things about my birth dad again….Dad please don't make me go back to him."

"That's not going to happen, Lance. Ever," David insisted. But Lance began to cry harder.

"Please don't let him get me," he cried. "If he gets me, he'll…he'll…"

"Lance," David said, alarmed at how Lance was acting.

"He'll kill me!" he cried hysterically. "He said he'd kill me. That's why he whipped me. Please Dad, don't let me die."

David thought his heart would stop. His boy. His seven year old son was terrified of being murdered by his birth father. David felt like crying himself at the thought.

Instead he held Lance even closer to him.

"Lance, you are not going to die," he said his voice low but firm. "No one is going to hurt you now. I love you, and I promise I won't let anything happen to you." He held Lance for several more minutes until he finally stopped crying.

"Dad…can I sleep with you and Mom tonight." David let him go and looked at him. _'He hasn't asked that in a while.' _In the past few months, Lance had finally become comfortable with sleeping on his own. But David didn't mind the request; he knew he would sleep better tonight if he could keep an eye on Lance.

"Sure, sport. Grab Mr. B and let's go," he said. Lance grabbed his teddy bear and left the room with David, who turned off his night light.

The two of them went into the master bedroom and Lance climbed into bed next to Carolyn, who was already asleep. David picked up a pillow sitting beside the bed that Lance used whenever he spent the night with them. He then climbed into bed on the other side of Lance, and put the pillow under Lance's head. David turned out his lamp on the stand next to him and laid down. He could feel Lance curl up next to him.

"Dad…thank you." David put his arm around him.

"It's ok. Go to sleep now." They were silent for a few moments.

"Dad…I want to help…I want to stay here," Lance whispered.

"Lance, if you help us, you'll have to talk about your birth father and what he did," David said. "Are you sure you want to do that?" He heard Lance sniffle.

"Yes…I'll do it," Lance said, his voice shaky. "I want to stay with you…I…I love you." David pat his back.

"You're a brave boy, Lance," he whispered. "I'm proud of you. Now, go to sleep." David closed his eyes and let the sound of Lance's slow even breathing put him to sleep.


	12. Year Two, Conflict, part 2

Author's note: Well here is the next part. Shorter than the last one, but the last part of this section will probably be kind of long....

I'm going to apologize upfront if I get some procedural things wrong in these upcoming chapters...

I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. I'm just borrowing them, I swear....;)

Thank you once again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And on that note...

**Colbalt6233**: Bingo! :D I did try to give David 'Booth-like' tendencies intentionally. In fact even his name, David Stephen Sweets, is a dual reference to actors David Boreanaz and Stephen Fry. I think that Booth and Wyatt both act as a kind of surrogate father toward Sweets (one more of a big brother, the other a mentor). As you guessed, I've often theorized that the reason Sweets tries so hard to win their friendship and approval is because they remind him of someone important to him...like perhaps his adoptive father. Thus, I tried to incorporate aspects of both of their personalities into David (Booth's caring and protective side, Wyatt's gentle wisdom and insight).

Warning: Hmm.... actually almost all of Year Two is going to be kind of dark, so be forewarned....

Year Two—Conflict—part 2

The next morning Carolyn opened her eyes to see that she had beaten the alarm clock by a few minutes. She yawned and reached over to turn off the alarm setting. She then rolled over to find Lance sleeping between her and David. Lance had the corner of David's night shirt clasped in his hand while he slept.

'_Poor baby. He must have been scared last night so David let him sleep here again.'_ Carolyn turned to watch the two of them sleep.

Moments later David opened his eyes and saw Carolyn watching him. He looked down to see Lance was still asleep. When he looked back up, Carolyn was staring deep into his eyes, communicating her strength, her resolve.

They both knew that each of them would do anything to keep the child between them safe and in their home. It was no longer about securing an adoption. It was about keeping their family together.

After a few more moments, Carolyn shifted to get up.

"I'll go make breakfast," she whispered. She bent down to kiss David before leaving. David rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. He felt the slight tug on his shirt as it stretched a bit in Lance's fingers.

'_These upcoming days are going to be hard on Lance,' _he thought. David sighed. Raising Lance was definitely one of the hardest things David Stephen Sweets had ever taken on. Many of his friends pitied all the stresses and difficulties that he and Carolyn had to face. One or two of these friends even questioned why he would choose to adopt a 'special needs' child in the first place.

'_Maybe you couldn't adopt an infant, but with your backgrounds and financial means you could have had any child.'_

'_Why pick one with so many issues?'_

Whenever David heard that argument from one of his friends, he vowed that he would never take Lance to meet that person.

He turned his head to watch Lance sleep, and felt a rush of memories overtake him: Lance's recent birthday, their first Christmas together, the proud moment when he and Carolyn found out that Lance was at the top of his class at school.

But one memory in particular stood out in his mind.

_It was three months ago. He had just gotten a letter from Germany informing him that his baby brother, Vincent, had passed away. David and Vincent had not spoken much in years and when Vincent decided to move to Germany, they stopped seeing each other at family gatherings as well. Then the letter came from Vincent's wife. Cancer, she said. He died within a couple weeks of finding out._

_Carolyn had been out shopping and had left him to watch Lance when he got the news. He sat there and read the letter over and over again in shock. David had been planning a trip to Germany to try to bury the hatchet with his brother. Vincent had two children of his own and now with him being a father, David felt he could relate to his brother more. He wanted to take Lance to meet Vincent and his family. Now, he would never have that chance. _

_David stared out the window in the front room and felt tears form in his eyes. Suddenly he felt something touch his arm. Startled, he looked over to see Lance staring at him, his round eyes solemn. _

'_What's wrong?' he asked. 'Why are you sad?' David gave him a half-smile._

'_I just found out that my brother was very ill,' he sniffed, patting Lance's arm. _

'_He died, didn't he?' Lance asked. David started a bit at that, but by this point he had gotten used to Lance's intuition and directness with him and Carolyn. _

'_Yes he did,' David said. Lance got up on the couch to join him._

'_You miss him?' Lance said. David nodded and sniffed again. _

'_I do sport, very much.' Lance then leaned over and put his arms around David's waist._

'_I'm sorry Dad,' he said as he hugged him. David embraced him back. Lance didn't say another word; he just held onto him while David grieved. _

Back in the present, David rolled over toward Lance again.

'_They got it wrong. Lance may need extra care, but Carolyn and I are the ones who were special enough and lucky enough to be given the chance to raise this boy.'_

_

* * *

_A couple of days later, the Sweets and Lance found themselves sitting in their lawyer's office going over their case. Lauren had given her highest recommendation to this woman, a Ms. Terry Nigel. Now they were sitting and waiting while Nigel looked over their case files. Soon with a flourish she plopped down the folder she was looking at and raised her head to look at David and Carolyn.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets…." she began.

"Please, David and Carolyn," David interrupted. Nigel nodded.

"Good, then you can call me Terry," she said. "Anyway David, Carolyn I've looked over your case and to be honest, I don't see the point."

"What do you mean?" Carolyn asked. "We'll do anything to keep…" Terry held up her hand.

"You misunderstand me," she said. "What I don't understand is why Mr. Jensen is even bothering with this motion in the first place." She leaned back in her chair. "Now granted, the fact that Miss Place has not given any response to the adoption petition is a bit problematic. But with Jensen's history, your excellent background, and the glowing assessments that Child Services have given you, I see no reason at all we can't win your petition for adoption."

David and Carolyn broke into large smiles and reached over to grip each others' hands. They already felt good about this lawyer. Terry looked over at Lance, who was sitting between the Sweets.

"Do you think it's a good idea to go over this with him sitting there?" Terry asked. Lance began to stare into Terry's eyes, and she felt like he was looking right through her.

"We don't keep any secrets from Lance," Carolyn said. David nodded in agreement.

"Yes, there is no need to talk down to him. Trust me, he understands what we are doing here," he said. "Besides this affects him more than any of us."

"Uh-huh," Terry said, doubtful. She met Lance's stare. She had been involved in many child custody cases, and it was rare that the children would even want to be involved this much.

"That may be," Terry said. "But is he aware that he may have to testify in court. I've seen his file. It's pretty graphic."

"I know," Lance said his voice low. Terry leaned toward him.

"It won't be just us there," she continued. "They'll be a judge, another lawyer, and your father as well. You will have to face Mr. Jensen." Lance leaned back in his chair and flinched, his eyes fearful. But after a second he swallowed hard and returned to his intense gaze.

"I know," he said. "Doctor Murray said I would have to do this someday."

"Are you scared?" she asked him.

"There's no reason to ask him that," Carolyn snapped.

"I just want to know if he knows what he's getting into," Terry responded. "This case won't be pretty. Child custody cases rarely are, but Jensen hardly has a leg to stand on, and I'm sure his lawyer knows it. They'll probably use every dirty tactic out there to try to break your resolve and unfortunately there's a chance that Lance could get caught up in it as well."

"Yes…I'm scared," Lance said timidly. The Sweets and Terry looked over at him. Lance blinked and looked down. "But Mom and Dad will be there, right?"

"'Mom' and 'Dad'? Does he mean the two of you?" Terry asked pointing back and forth between the Sweets.

"Of course," Carolyn answered. "We're his family."

"He calls you 'mom' and 'dad'?" Terry asked again.

"Why not? We're his parents. He's our son," David said, nonchalant.

"Legally, you're not his parents yet," Terry said. "The last thing we need is for a judge to think that you've stepped over the line of parental rights and have this boy thinking you're his father instead of Andrew Jensen."

"But David is my father. My real father." Lance insisted. "Andrew …" Lance seemed to choke on the name. "He's my birth father." Terry looked at him with a new respect.

"I like you Lance," she said. "You're going to be very helpful."

"Thank you," Lance said, blushing a bit.

"Now then," Terry said sitting up straighter in her chair. "The first thing we need to do is find Miss Place. A lot will hinge on her."

"But Lauren said that they weren't able to find her," Carolyn said.

"Lauren couldn't hire some of the people I know," Terry responded, her smile a bit impish. "Trust me, they'll find her." Terry shuffled some more papers around.

"You should get a hold of that shrink Lance is seeing and perhaps someone from his school, and let them know I want to talk to them," she said. "They'd make good witnesses. The trial is next Monday, so I'm going to come over to your house on Sunday to go over any last minute things."

"All right," David said as he, Carolyn and Lance stood up to leave. "We will see you then."

"Thank you for everything," Carolyn said. Terry gave them a grim smile.

"Don't thank me until this thing's over," she said. "Custody cases are ugly, and I'm almost sure there will be times when you won't be as enamored with me as you may be now."

"We'll try to keep the blows soft," David grinned. "Come on sport, let's go home."

* * *

Carolyn sighed as she looked out her kitchen window. Sunday had come quickly, and she was now preparing dinner for when Terry came over. The next morning the trial would begin.

She tried to distract herself with the preparation of the meal, but she couldn't hide her nervousness. She kept dropping things, and her hands shook. At one point she accidentally splashed some boiling water onto her hand. Running her slightly scorched fingers under some cool water coming from the sink, Carolyn finally began to cry. But not from the pain of the burn. Soon she felt a pair of strong arms cradling her.

"Carolyn, it's ok. Relax," David said. "Let me see your hand." She held it out to him and he looked it over, his touch feather soft.

"I've been so clumsy tonight," Carolyn said. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You're nervous about tomorrow," David said. "Don't feel bad, I'm nervous too, but it's going to be fine. Terry says we have an almost airtight case." Carolyn nodded with a sniff as David reached for some aloe gel.

"I know we do. It's just…."Carolyn trailed off for a second. "It's just Lance is going to have to talk about all those horrible things that man did to him. That he did to our baby. I know we are supposed to be strong for him, but…."

"But it hurts you too," David said. Carolyn nodded. "It's going to hurt because you love him," he said. David began to lightly rub some of the gel onto Carolyn's fingers."It's ok to be hurt," David continued. "Just remember that Lance needs us." David smiled at her. "I'm sure when the time comes you'll find your strength. We both will."

"I love you," Carolyn said, her tears drying. "I couldn't do this without you." She suddenly hissed as the pain flared up in her fingers again.

"Easy, dear," David said. "I know it hurts."

"Mom, are you ok?"

David and Carolyn looked over to see Lance standing in the kitchen, staring at Carolyn. She smiled at him.

"I'm all right. Just burned my hand a little is all." Lance walked over closer, his eyes sad.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. Carolyn put her arm around him.

"A little. But it's ok. Don't worry," she said leaning over to kiss the top of his head. "Could you set the table for me?" Lance nodded and picked up a stack of dishes Carolyn had placed on the counter. He started to walk into the dining room, but turned back to the Sweets.

"Mom…please be careful," he said. Both David and Carolyn grinned.

"I will Lance, thank you," she said. "Now go set the table." Lance turned and left, and David chuckled a little.

"Looks like we have our own safety person," he said.

"He cares so much," Carolyn said wistfully.

"He has a good heart," David said. "He always did." He then moved to pick up some silverware. "Now, let's finish getting ready for dinner. Terry will be here soon and we have a lot to go over this evening."

* * *

After a brief but pleasant meal, Terry, Lance and the Sweets settled out into the family room.

"I have excellent news," Terry announced. "We have found Miss Place."

"That's wonderful," Carolyn said. "So what does she say? Is she coming here? Is she signing the papers?"

"Now hold on, Carolyn," Terry said, raising her hands. "Right now, Miss Place is in Florida, and from what my guy told me, she won't come back here." David and Carolyn looked downward.

"She doesn't want to see me again," Lance said somberly. David immediately put his arm around Lance and held him close.

"Lance, I don't know if this will make you feel any better," Terry said. "But from what I was told, her not coming here has very little to do with you and a lot to do with her not wanting to face Andrew and the life she had with him."

"It takes a lot of love and strength to be a parent, sport," David soothed. "Some people just don't have that in them. It doesn't make what she did to you right, but some people are not cut out to be parents."

"I understand," Lance nodded. They all turned back to Terry.

"What can you tell us?" Carolyn asked.

"I can tell you that she knows about the adoption proceedings, and it looks like she is not going to stand in the way," Terry answered. "Now, she hasn't signed anything yet, but we are confident she will. Once we have her signature on those papers, most of the battle will be won."

"I'm glad," Lance blurted. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Lance?" Carolyn said cautiously.

"If…if she can't be a mom, like Dad said, then I'm glad she's nice enough to let me stay with you," he said. David beamed at him.

"That's a very grown-up thing to say Lance," he said. "I'm proud that you're so generous." Lance looked down and smiled, blushing deeply.

"Well I think everything else is good to go," Terry said. "So the only thing I need to ask about is you, Lance. Are you ready for tomorrow?" Lance nodded his head slowly.

"Yes," he answered in a small voice.

"You will answer any question I ask you? And tell the truth?"

"Yes."

"You will answer the other lawyer's questions? Even if he asks you about things that are scary or embarrassing?

"Yes."

"You understand that Andrew Jensen will be there and that he will be watching you? That you will have to face him while you answer these questions?" Lance gulped.

"Will Mom and Dad be there too?" he asked. David squeezed Lance closer to him.

"We'll be right there with you every second," he said.

"Ok….I understand Terry," Lance answered. "I'll do it." Terry reached over and patted Lance's knee.

"You're a good boy Lance," she said. "I'm sure your mom and dad are very proud of you right now."

* * *

The next morning was an early one. After quickly getting ready, the Sweets and Lance showed up at the courthouse and met Terry there. They tried to keep the conversation casual while waiting to go in, with Terry even remarking how cute she thought Lance was in his black dress pants and striking blue dress shirt. They didn't want to dwell on what was going to happen next.

A gasp from Lance shifted their focus.

Walking past them in a plain white dress shirt and khaki pants was Andrew Jensen. He had dirty blond hair that hung down to his neck. His eyes were a dull grey, and he had a day's stubble. He was a thin somewhat lanky person and rather short at only 5'7. At the sight of Lance, his eyes lit up with anger. But then he flashed Lance a grin, a shark's sort of grin.

Lance edged over closer to David, and tried to hide behind him a bit. David looked over at Jensen, his eyes burning with rage. He put his arm around Lance and pulled him close, not taking his eyes off of Andrew. Jensen laughed a bit and walked off, another man joining him, toward the courtroom.

"Was that him, Lance?" Carolyn asked, although she was pretty sure she knew the answer. Lance nodded.

Terry watched David who was still staring at the direction Jensen had walked in. The look on his face was clear: he didn't want Andrew anywhere near Lance. She reached over and tapped him on the arm.

"Let's go and get this over with," Terry said. David nodded, shaking off his angry demeanor. Keeping his arm around Lance, David guided him into the court room with Terry and Carolyn walking beside him.


	13. Year Two, Conflict, part 3

Author's Note: I decided to re-arrange and break up the next couple of chapters a bit so that this section wouldn't be as long as I originally planned. Hope no one minds....;)

Sadly enough, I still do not own Bones or any of its characters.

And as always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I promise that there will be more soon.

Year Two—Conflict—part 3

As Terry, Lance, and the Sweets walked into the court room, they were met by Lauren. They glanced over the courtroom to see that Doctor Colinablanca was there along with Doctor Murray, and one other person they weren't expecting.

"Dean Fry is here," Carolyn remarked. Terry grinned at her.

"It seems that Lance has made quite an impression on the school he goes to," she said. "When I called to ask if any of the teachers could testify at this hearing, Mr. Fry himself offered to come."

After a couple of moments the judge came in and gave instructions. Then everyone everyone settled into their seats. Terry rose to make her argument first.

"Your Honor, this is a simple, straight-forward case," she said. "Lance Jensen was abandoned by his mother and viciously abused by his father. Social Services actually had to remove Lance from Mr. Jensen's custody after he beat his own son within an inch of his life with a whip. After great difficulty within the foster system, Lance was taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Sweets with the intention of adopting him. In the year that he has spent with them, Lance has shown tremendous improvement in his overall health." Terry moved to stand closer to the judge.

"Your Honor, this is a child who has had a brutal and difficult childhood. It will become plain to see that it is in Lance's best interests to stay with the people who love him and continue to care for him. Thank you." At this point the man who came in with Andrew stood up to speak.

"Your Honor despite what Ms. Nigel would have you believe, this is anything but a straight-forward case," he said. "While my client will admit that he has not been a perfect parent, he never intended to give up his parental rights, and was pressured to by an overzealous prosecuting attorney out of fear of receiving a harsher sentence. Plus, there is the fact that the boy's mother, Lillian Place, has never acknowledged the adoption petition or signed any sort of agreement giving permission to the Sweets to adopt Lance."

"We ask that the court not be swayed by the Sweets' great financial means and upper middle class lifestyle and to recognize the paramount importance of the relationship between a father and his son. Thank you."

The Sweets sat in a state of disbelief at Jensen's lawyer's statements.

'_"Has not been a perfect parent"?'_ Carolyn asked herself. _'He wasn't a parent; he was a bully, a torturer.'_ David began to fume silently at the lawyer's words.

'"_The paramount importance between a father and son"? He has no idea what that even means.'_ David looked down at Lance, who kept stealing glances over at Andrew. David put his arm around him and squeezed. Lance looked up at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. David grinned back and pat Lance's arm.

Doctor Colinablanca was first. She explained to Terry how Lance had grown healthier under the Sweets' care. She went on to describe the evidence of abuse that she found looking over his medical history and while examining him for the first time. After Terry questioned her, Jensen's lawyer, a Mr. Anders began.

"Doctor Colinablanca, you've treated many children Lance's age. Would you suspect that most of the children you've seen were affected by abuse?" he asked.

"Well no," she said. "Mainly the ones that have certain types of injuries or simply a high frequency of injuries."

"But isn't it also true that children Lance's age are prone to injury: accidents, mischief, that sort of thing?"

"Well, yes that's true, but…"

"Have the Sweets ever brought in Lance with an injury?" Anders said.

"Yes. Once they brought him in after he had slipped on some ice and hit his head on the pavement."

"Was the injury serious?"

"Not serious, really," she answered. "He just needed a couple of stitches."

"Did you suspect the Sweets of abuse?"

"Certainly not," Anna snapped. "It was a fall. There has been no evidence of abuse since Lance has been living with them?"

"So what you're saying Doctor is that you don't equate every injury with abuse. Isn't it possible that some of Lance's old injuries may fall under the category of accidents?"

"It's possible, but not likely," Anna said in a tightly controlled voice. "Especially when you consider the sheer number of old injuries. Plus there is nothing accidental about those whip marks."

"Aside from that, you admit though unlikely, it is possible," Anders almost smirked.

Next, Dean Fry talked with Terry about Lance's accomplishments in school along with his promotion to second grade and plans to move him through both third and fourth grade next school year.

"You run a private school, Mr. Fry, do you not?" Anders asked.

"Yes, a school for parents wishing to enrich their children with the best possible education."

"The tuition cost is not inexpensive is it? In fact yours is one of the most expensive schools in the area isn't it?"

"I suppose you could see it that way," Fry admitted. "But we provide these children with the very best instruction."

"So it's mainly the children of the privileged who get to attend your school?"

"You're oversimplifying it. We also consider the unique gifts of the child in question."

"About that," Anders said. "You said that your school plans to move Lance through both third and fourth grade in the next school year? Is that truly wise to put a seven year old into classes that are normally for nine and ten year olds?"

"If you were to check our credentials, you would see that our students meet, and in fact, exceed public school standards. It's only with careful consideration that we allow a child to accelerate through grades."

"What kinds of consideration?" Anders asked.

"Lance has a tested IQ of 140, a number we believe will increase before he graduates high school," Fry responded. "He is a very gifted child. We simply do not believe in restraining his potential in any way, thus the acceleration of his studies to keep him sufficiently challenged."

"So things like emotional maturity or social development are not important?"

"Of course they are considered," Fry huffed. "Lance still interacts with children his own age."

"But he hasn't had much success in making friends has he?"

"Well no. But from what I understand the boy has a difficult background, and unfortunately, it's not unusual for truly gifted children to suffer some social awkwardness."

"So we have a child who may be rising academically in an elite school, but who isn't necessarily developing in other ways like he should," Anders said.

Doctor Murray was next. He explained how Lance was slowly improving in his ability to handle daily stressors and the memories of his past.

"But he's far from cured, isn't he?" Anders asked.

"I'm afraid not," Murray answered. "Lance suffered a high level of trauma. It will take a long time for him to truly recover."

"Tell me doctor, what in general has Lance told you about his father?"

"Not much. He refuses to talk about him."

"Really? So he hasn't told you about his time with his father? Or any specific incidents of abuse?" Murray frowned.

"Lance Jensen is terrified of his father," he said. "That much he has shared with me. While he hasn't talked about any specific incidents, he made it clear that he was frequently mistreated."

"So he's never really differentiated between say getting a spanking and actual abuse?

"Lance knows the difference between punishment and abuse," Murray countered.

"Does he ever talk about the Sweets punishing him?"

"Yes. He has mentioned that when he misbehaves, he would be sent to his room, given a time out, or have privileges taken away."

"So no corporal punishment then? Maybe Lance simply does not like to be spanked?"

"Your Honor," Terry said, standing up.

"Or maybe he just prefers to live with people whose idea of punishment is sending him to his room which is filled with numerous toys that were bought for him?" Anders said.

"Your Honor," Terry protested again.

"I've been a child psychiatrist for over ten years," Murray said. "I can tell you that when a child suffers from panic attacks, frequent nightmares and depression, it's not just because he didn't like it when daddy gave him a spanking for breaking a rule."

"But what if that same child was abandoned by his mother and had to deal with the emotional fallout of a clinically depressed father?" Anders said. "Tell me would those things contribute to the symptoms you're describing?"

"They can," Murray conceded. "But the level of trauma suggests that there was an extreme amount of physical, mental and emotional abuse."

"But you don't know for absolute sure since Lance refuses to talk about it," Anders said walking away.

* * *

Soon there was a brief recess. Terry spent most of it calming David down while Carolyn took Lance to get a snack in the cafeteria.

"I can't believe this," he said. "He is twisting everything we do for Lance into something bad. Or he's trying to make it sound like Jensen didn't even abuse him. How can anyone believe that?" Terry patted his arm.

"Don't worry," she said. "I know it sounds bad, but I know this judge. He won't be fooled that easily. Besides, the police reports, the reports from Child Services, they clearly indicate abuse."

"I just keep thinking about Lance being questioned by that man," he said. "I don't know if we should do it."

"I'm sorry David, but we need him to testify," Terry said. "Lance's testimony will be a strong contradiction to the story Anders is trying to weave of Jensen being a misunderstood parent. What I'm more worried about is the fact that Anders seems overly interested in the orphanage's paperwork for Lance." Lauren appeared and Terry turned to her.

"Lauren, is there any reason why Anders would be so interested in the paperwork surrounding Lance's adoption?" Terry asked her. Lauren shook her head vigorously.

"You know me, Terry," she said. "I followed every procedure down the letter. Especially in this case. I wanted everything to be perfect for Lance."

"I know you probably did everything right," Terry mused. "I'm just worried."

At this point, Carolyn reappeared with Lance.

"Is it time?" she asked. Terry nodded. David walked over and put his hand on Lance's shoulder.

"How are you doing sport?" he asked.

"Ok, I guess," Lance shrugged. David pat his shoulder a couple times.

"You're doing just fine. Just hang on a little longer and we'll go home."

* * *

Lauren was the last person to testify for the day.

"Mrs. MacArthur, you handled Lance Jensen's case for Child services correct?" Anders asked.

"Yes."

"Tell me wasn't it problematic that Miss Place never acknowledged the adoption?"

"Multiple attempts were made to get Miss Place to contact us," she said. "We even used registered mail so that Miss Place would have to sign something saying that she received our notices. When we tried to use legal action to force her to act, she fled her address and disappeared. The most we were able to find out was that she may have been traveling with a circus in Florida."

"So I take that as a 'no' then?"

"Miss Place was given more than ample opportunity to challenge the adoption, but chose not to. After a certain point, the law considers the needs of the child. It was in Lance's best interest that he be taken out of the foster system."

David looked down to see Lance shaking a little, his eyes sad. David held him close to him again.

"It's all right, sport," he whispered to him. David hated that Lance had to re-live this time in his life. A time he felt unwanted and unloved.

"So you had a hard time keeping him in a foster home?" Anders continued.

"The system isn't perfect," Lauren said her tone clipped. "It's especially hard for special needs children."

"Special needs? But Lance isn't physically handicapped, and according to Mr. Fry he certainly isn't mentally handicapped."

"Special needs doesn't just mean that," Lauren swallowed. "It…it can also refer to children who are grappling with emotional problems."

"I've read the reports Mrs. MacArthur," Anders said, picking up a file. "One family returned him to the orphanage because Lance proceeded to break almost anything he could get his hands on."

"That was not long after he was put in the system. He was having a hard time adjusting."

"And yet four months later another family had to return him because he would scream at the other children in the house and would refuse to leave the space under his bed for hours."

"Lance was having problems then," Lauren said. "The parents didn't know how to handle his nightmares and panic attacks. They didn't explain to the other children what he was going through."

"Problems? Maybe it's possible that Lance was simply a problem child? Undisciplined and unruly? No respect for authority?" Anders asked.

"That's not…you have to understand what he was going through…Lance is a good boy."

"Really? A good boy?" Anders said. "A good boy five different foster homes sent back to the orphanage because they couldn't handle him? A good boy that the orphanage in charge of him wanted to put in an institution? A good boy, who out of desperation, they placed with a couple who had been previously been turned down for the chance to adopt?"

"The Sweets were never considered bad candidates for adoption," Lauren spat. "The only reason they were ever turned down was because of the long established rule that people past a certain age would not be considered for the adoption of an infant. That's why they were welcomed to adopt an older child." Lauren leaned toward Anders. "They could have chosen any child. They chose Lance because he is a good boy who deserved a chance. The Sweets are good people."

"Good and wealthy," Anders muttered.

"Finances are not the only thing we…"

"Do you recognize these forms?" Anders said, holding up some paperwork he pulled out of another file.

"Yes. It's the paperwork I filed to allow the Sweets to take custody of Lance."

"So these forms, without them, legally the Sweets cannot take custody of Lance?"

"That's true," Lauren said cautiously. "But if you look you can see that they were filled out exactly the way procedure requires."

"So I see," Anders said giving the papers a glance. "Mrs. MacArthur do you remember an employee at the orphanage, a Mr. Davison?" At that question, Lauren blanched.

"Yes," she said.

"Did you know that this Davison never filed your forms with the proper court staff to finalize the temporary foster situation the Sweets agreed to before adoption?"

"No…that's not possible…she…she told me…"

"Your Honor," Anders said turning to the judge. "Technically, the Sweets were never given the legal right to take custody of Lance. Considering the nature of this hearing and the great financial means of the Sweets, which include contacts in foreign countries, I demand that Lance Jensen be removed from the Sweets' home and placed in the court's care until a decision is made."

"Your Honor," Terry nearly shouted as she rose to her feet. "The only home this child knows is with the Sweets. Removing him is just cruel."

"Please," Carolyn begged, also standing. "Please Your Honor; don't take him away from us." David wrapped his arms around Lance protectively.

"Dad," Lance whispered his voice quaking.

"It's going to be ok sport," David tried to reassure him.

"I'm sorry Ms. Nigel, Mr. and Mrs. Sweets, but I have no choice," the judge sighed. "Lance Jensen will here by be taken into to custody by the court and placed in a youth facility for the duration of this trial. We will send someone to the Sweets' home to pick up some things for the boy's stay. "

"No," Carolyn whispered, sinking back into her seat. David felt his hands begin to shake.

"Dad…Dad." David looked down to see Lance shaking slightly, his eyes filled with tears. "Dad…please, I want to go home. Don't let them take me away," Lance said. Every word he said tore at David's heart. He felt like grabbing Carolyn and Lance and running, but he knew what he had to do.

He turned Lance toward him and made him look him in the eye.

"I'm so sorry Lance," he said. "I would give anything to let you come home with us. But we have to do what they say for now." Tears welled up in David's eyes as he spoke. "We have to follow all the rules so that when it's all over you can stay with us. Forever and ever."

"Ok…I…I'll do what they want," Lance whispered, sniffing.

"We love you Lance, you know that, right?" David said his throat tightening. Lance nodded. "That means that wherever you are, we are with you here," David said, putting his hand over Lance's heart. "We are going to fight for you, and we will never give up until you come home where you belong."

"Ok…I won't cry," Lance sniffled. "If you won't."

"Lance, I want you to know that I'm proud of you," David said, his voice clearing as he wiped hard at his eyes. Carolyn moved closer, struggling not to weep herself.

"Mom," Lance said. She embraced him and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, baby," she said. "We're going to get you back. And we'll be thinking about you every moment." Both David and Carolyn moved to hold Lance in their arms.

"Your Honor, I think that Lance should be taken into custody now, and the court convened until tomorrow so he can be settled," Anders said. The judge nodded.

"So ordered," he said. "I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Sweets, but you need to turn the boy over to us now." The Sweets tightened their grip on Lance for a moment and then, very reluctantly, let him go. They watched as a bailiff guided him out of the courtroom. Lance kept turning back toward David and Carolyn as he walked, and the Sweets kept waving at him.

The moment he was out of sight, Carolyn collapsed into David's arms and cried like her heart would break. As David held her, he wondered if his would as well.


	14. Year Two, Confirmation, part 1

Author's note: This will be a somewhat short chapter. But the next one really will be longer, even after my juggling of the chapters from my original draft.

And on a side note, *shameless plug* I have also put up a new story today, (The Observations of The Friend). I would love for everyone to check it out. It has everything you've come to expect from me: angst, fluff and Sweets. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Sadly.

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And...

**Fear Herself**: Yeah, I hate Andrew even while I write for him. That's when I know I got him right. ;)

**Cwgirlup, ladykale1985**: Don't worry, more is coming soon....

Year Two—Confirmation—part 1

Back in the courtroom, everyone was still shocked at what had just occurred.

"Your Honor, I'd like to note for the record that I think this is a heartless thing to do to a child," Terry said.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Ms. Nigel," the judge said. "Unfortunately, we can't pick and choose which laws to follow based on circumstance, no matter how hard it may seem." The judge straightened in his chair. "The court will reconvene tomorrow at 9:00 AM."

With a bang of the gavel, people began to file out of the courtroom. David helped Carolyn to slowly walk out of the room with Lauren and Terry following them. They all gathered in a small side corridor. David sat with Carolyn on a nearby bench. He continued to hold her while she cried.

"What happened in there Lauren?" Terry demanded. Lauren shook her head, her eyes becoming moist.

"Davison…He used to work for the orphanage that Lance was in," Lauren said. "Child Services found out that he was ignoring procedures and making ill-suited placements for the children. When what he was doing came out, he was promptly fired. When I found out about it, I asked the secretary at the orphanage if he had handled any of my cases' paperwork. She assured me that he didn't." Lauren shook a little with anger.

"I'm sorry that I believed her. She had never lied to me before. I should have made sure," she said.

"Unfortunately, Jensen's lawyer found out," Terry sighed.

"How could you let this happen?" David growled. Terry moved to stand in front of David.

"We are going to get him back, David," she said. "Jensen's lawyer is just doing this to break our resolve. But I know for a fact that Miss Place is planning on signing a release on her parental rights. I will call my man there and see if he can speed things along. We get those papers in our hands, and we have most of the battle done." She looked down at the Sweets, her face becoming somber.

"You should go home now," she told them. "You'll need to be there when they come to get some things for Lance, and you should try to rest for tomorrow." The Sweets stood up, Carolyn having finally begun to calm down.

"All right, we will talk to you tomorrow," David said.

* * *

The Sweets arrived home and only a couple minutes later a woman appeared asking for Lance's things.

"Is he all right? How is he? Does he need anything?"

The Sweets bombarded the woman with questions, but all they received in response was a curt "he's fine" in response. After gather some clothes and toiletries, David and Carolyn returned with a small blue suitcase. As the woman turned to leave, Carolyn grabbed her arm.

"Please, I beg you," she said. "Just tell Lance, if you see him, that we love him." The social worker finally sighed, her eyes growing sad.

"All right, I will tell him," she said.

* * *

That evening, the Sweets moved through their routine of chores and meals silently and robotically. Neither of them could find a way to break up the silence in the house. Everywhere they looked there were reminders of Lance: his jacket hanging by the door, the pictures of him sitting in the front room, the new video game system David had bought him for Christmas in the family room. Carolyn even accidentally pulled out three plates for dinner until David reminded her with a look that it was just the two of them tonight.

Later, the Sweets went to bed, but found themselves unable to sleep peacefully. Sometime in the night, David woke up to find his wife missing from their bed. A distant sound of weeping led him from his bedroom and over across the hall to find Carolyn in Lance's room. She was sitting on his bed and holding his teddy bear.

"I forgot to give that woman Mr. B," she said looking up. "How could I forget to do that? You know how much he likes to have that on his bed while he sleeps." Carolyn put her head down to cry some more. David sat down beside her on the bed.

"We're going to get him back, Carolyn," he said. "He belongs with us. He'll come home." He put his arm around her and she leaned against him.

"David…all those things that that lawyer said about Lance," she said. "He made him sound like a horrible child."

"He's just twisting things to make his client look good," he said. "They don't know Lance the way we do." Carolyn gripped the toy in her hands.

"Do you think he's scared?"

"I'm sure he is. Just like we are," David answered. "That's why we have to be strong. For his sake."

"I know," she nodded. "I…I just miss him so much. Seems strange doesn't it? I mean it hasn't even been a day, but I just feel like something bad will happen if he's not here with us."

"He hasn't spent much time away from us since he came here," David said. "And this is different, this absence. Of course you miss him."

"You know when we took Lance to get tested for school, and Dean Fry told us about him…I actually thought that maybe we weren't the right people to raise him. Because of his gifts," she said. Carolyn looked back up at David. "How could I think that? How could I think that I could ever stop being his mother?" David stroked his wife's hair.

"I know. I'll admit I was worried for a while too when they told us about him," he said. "But then I remember the first time he called me 'dad'…..I don't think I'll ever forget how happy and content I felt when I realized that Lance saw me as his true father."

"David, he told me once that when he grew up he wanted to be just like you and that he wanted you to be proud of him," Carolyn sniffed, her tears finally starting to stop.

"I'm always proud of him," David said roughly, not wanting to cry just when Carolyn was finally able to calm down.

"If we adopt him, do you know what we should do?" she said. "We should change his name. That way he could carry your name, and he would know that you are proud to have him as your son." David turned his wife to face him.

"**When** we adopt him Carolyn. No 'if'," he said. "Lance will be our son, and we will be his parents. I promise."

* * *

The Sweets arrived early the next morning to the courthouse where they were met by Terry and Lauren.

"How is Lance? Can we see him? We want to see him." Terry held up her hands at the Sweets to stop them.

"He's in the courthouse," she answered. "You won't be able to see him before the hearing continues; he'll be waiting in a side room until it's time for him to testify. But I did see him for a moment. He wanted me to tell you that he misses you and that he wants to come home."

"Terry, what aren't you telling us?" David said, noticing her apprehension. Terry sighed deeply and slumped her shoulders.

"There's been a problem in Florida," she said. "Apparently, Miss Place has a somewhat shady past, and she's worried that she might get prosecuted for some past petty crimes. It's making her reluctant to appear before a judge."

"What?" both of the Sweets exclaimed.

"Now don't worry. Miss Place has not run off. I'm going to fly there myself tomorrow to see if we can work something out," she said. "I've even talked to the judge, and he says that he will recognize anything signed in front of the judge we lined up in Florida. And he said that he will not make a final decision in this hearing until I return." She put a hand on Carolyn's shoulder.

"It's all going to work out. It's just going to take a little longer," she said.

"The further we go, the worse it gets," David said darkly.

"I know and I'm sorry," Terry said. "But remember that I said this would be an ugly trial."

"We appreciate what you're doing," Carolyn said. "We just want to get Lance back."

"Don't worry, it will happen," Terry assured them.

"You do like to make promises. Even if you can't keep them," a voice behind Terry blurted out. The Sweets and Terry turned to see Anders and Jensen approaching them.

"Ms. Nigel, I see you've gotten the judge to prolong the trial," Anders said. "Seems like an unkind thing to do, keeping that boy in limbo." Terry gritted her teeth.

"If you recall it was you that had Lance taken out of his home," she said. "The Sweets want to adopt him; they wouldn't have run off with him."

"The law is the law," Anders countered. "Besides you can't be too careful."

"You can tell yourself that all you want, but in the end it doesn't matter," Terry shot back. "We found Miss Place." Andrew's eyes grew angry at the mention of her name. "As soon as she signs the forms permitting the Sweets custody, you know your case doesn't stand a chance," she said.

"That whore," Andrew muttered, clenching his fist. He then turned his glare toward David and Carolyn. "What's with you two anyway? Can't have a kid of your own so you decide to buy one? You're old enough to be his grandparents."

"We are not 'buying' Lance," Carolyn said. "He wants to live with us. We love him. Something you never did."

"Sure he does," Andrew drawled. "He wants to live with people who can give him lots of stuff and send him to fancy private schools. What I want to know is what you guys get out of it?"

"A wonderful son," David said, staring him down. "One you were too angry or blind to care about."

"I saw how you were with him yesterday. All touchy-feely and hugging," Andrew sneered. "Maybe that's how you get your rocks off, huh? Or maybe you just like treating him like a little girl?"

"You're sick," Carolyn gasped at him.

David said nothing, just continued to give him a cold, hard stare. Soon Andrew flinched and looked away from him. Jensen and his lawyer shuffled off to the courtroom.

"The only decent thing that man ever did was help bring Lance into the world," David said in a low, angry voice. He then turned his intense gaze to Terry, who shuddered a bit.

"Do what you have to do," he said. "But do not let that man back into my son's life." The Sweets then walked off toward the courtroom, arm-in-arm.

"David…can be a scary person," Terry said quietly.

"Only if you hurt the people he loves," Lauren said.

* * *

"Mr. Sweets, why did you choose to adopt a child at your age?"

"We had always wanted a child," David answered, now calm. "When we found out that Carolyn couldn't have any, we were devastated. It took us a long time to get over that. But we decided that we still wanted a child, so we began to consider adoption. It took a long time; it's surprisingly difficult to adopt."

"You originally wanted an infant, didn't you?"

"Yes, but as it turns out, we are a bit too old for an infant."

"You were disappointed, weren't you?" Anders asked.

"Not…not so much disappointed as frustrated," David sighed. "It just felt like we had to start over with looking for an older child to adopt."

"What made you choose Lance Jensen? You knew he was special needs. In fact when he first met you, he was afraid of you, was he not?" Anders said.

"Lance…Lance is special. But not just special needs," David answered. "He's been through so much and yet he still has a brilliant mind and a good heart. You can see that if you just take the time to get to know him. I feel…we feel privileged, blessed, to have him in our lives."

"How old are you Mr. Sweets?"

"I just turned 53. Why? How old are you?" David smirked.

"A bit old for taking on the responsibility of a young child, isn't it?"

"I had a physical two months ago. My doctor can tell you I'm in perfect health. In fact I'd wager that I'm in better health than you," David said, indicating Anders' sizable girth.

"I'm not adopting a seven year old," Anders snapped. "You on the other hand will be in your 60s before Lance graduates from high school. What if your health fails before then? "

"As you are so fond of pointing out, I have means," David said. "My house is paid off. I've set aside a fund for Lance's education. And I have a will and trust set up to take care of my wife and son should anything happen to me."

"Which, let's face it, is entirely possible at your age," Anders said. "The same for your wife too. Who would take care of the boy then?"

* * *

"Mr. Jensen, why are you opposing this adoption?" Anders asked. Andrew leaned forward in the witness stand.

"Because Lance is my son, not theirs," he answered. "They can't just walk in and buy him."

"You are currently serving time in prison. You wouldn't be able to take care of him for a few years."

"Yeah, I know that," Andrew sighed. "But I've been seeing this shrink in prison. To help with the stress and the anger issues, you know. And I figured after I served my time, we could start over."

"One of the charges brought up against you is one of child abuse," Anders said. "Including using a whip on Lance."

"I'm not proud of that. I was drunk that night. A close friend of mine had just died and I was in a dark place. I didn't even know what I was doing. I screwed up and I'm sorry."

"You've had a rough time of it, haven't you?" Anders said. "Raising a child alone? Especially one as difficult as Lance appears to be." Andrew leaned back in his chair and huffed.

"You have no idea," he said. "That kid…he's so stubborn. When he gets his mind set on something, there's no stopping him. He was always getting into all kinds of trouble."

"All kinds of trouble? Like trouble where he could get hurt?"

"Sometimes," Andrew answered. You know how kids are. They get hurt so easily. Look I know I wasn't the perfect father, but Lance wasn't an easy kid to take care of. Especially after his mother ran out on us. I just want a second chance. He's still _my son_." Andrew emphasized those last two words while he glared at David.

"Indeed," Anders nodded. "It seems that many people here forget who Lance Jensen's father really is at times."


	15. Year Two, Confirmation, part 2

Author's note: Ok here's the next part. I will warn you now: it's long and intense.

I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. I'm just a fan.

As always thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And an extra thank you to everyone who also checked out my other story. I appreciate that. :D

**Fear Herself**: Trust me, you will only hate Andrew more after this chapter....

**TimeWitch16**: Thank you, and I am flattered. ;) And thank you for noticing the effort with the details. Like I mentioned before, I have the first 4 seasons on DVD, thus I've watched them more than once. When I decided to write this, I actually sat down and, over the course of a weekend, went over every single scene with Sweets so that I could gather as much info and insight as I possible could about him and his past. Trust me, I'm using everything I was able to figure out. Granted, future episodes (like BOTBL and onward) may make for contradictions with my work, but like I said, it's the risk you take writing for a show that is still being made.

Warning: This chapter should be regarded with the highest possible T rating. Includes some descriptions of child abuse.

Year Two—Confirmation—part 2

Terry stood up and approached the bench.

"Your Honor, I think it's time we heard from Lance Jensen himself. A lot has been said about him, but he hasn't had a chance to speak." The judge nodded and a bailiff left to bring Lance in. After a couple of moments he returned, guiding Lance into the courtroom.

Despite being dressed in a crisp, white shirt and black pants, Lance looked exhausted, worn down. He head was down, his face solemn. His eyes were droopy and tired.

However, as soon as he spotted the Sweets, he ran over to them and wordlessly grabbed David for a hug. David instantly wrapped his arms around him, and Carolyn moved closer to kiss his cheek.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets," the judge said with a bit of warning in his voice. David nodded and reluctantly pushed Lance away from him and Carolyn.

"Go on, sport. Go with the man here, and we'll see you later," David said. Lance nodded his eyes sad. After being led to the front of the room, he sat down in a chair next to the judge. Terry walked over to him and smiled.

"How are you, Lance?" she asked.

"Ok, I guess," he said.

"Let's start with the easy questions. Could you tell us your full name and age?"

"My name is Lance Jensen, and I'm seven."

"Do you understand why you're here?"

"Because," Lance swallowed. "Because you're trying to decide who I should live with. Mom and Dad." He nodded toward the Sweets. "Or my birth father," he said tilting his head toward Andrew. Terry noticed the judge's raised eyebrow at Lance's response.

"Lance, do you understand that Andrew Jensen is your father?" Terry asked.

"No, he's my birth father," Lance said beginning to blush. "He and my birth mom made me as a baby. But David is my real father."

"Why is that?" Terry said, noticing the judge's bemused expression.

"Um…my teacher told me once that your real parents are the ones who love you no matter what," he said, looking up. "David…even if I'm bad, he takes care of me and says he loves me. So he's my real father." At this Andrew gave Lance a long glare. Lance flinched and looked back down.

"Lance, did your birth father ever hit you?"

"Yes," he answered. "When I was bad."

"When you were bad? What did you do that was bad?" she said.

"Sometimes I'd make too much noise while he was sleeping. Or I'd forget to pick up my toys. Other times 'cause he said I cried too much."

"Why were you crying Lance?"

"Because…because I just wanted him to play with me, to like me," Lance said his voice quavering a bit. "But he hated me. He said I was bad and that no one could love a stupid kid like me."

"So he would hit you when you did things like that?"

"Yes."

"Was it a spanking? On the bottom?" Terry asked. Lance shook a little.

"Sometimes that. Sometimes he'd hit me with his fist," he answered. "He didn't just spank my bottom; he'd hit me almost everywhere. Then I had to stay in the closet."

"How long did you have to stay there?" Lance shook his head.

"I don't know…A long time…I couldn't leave; the door was locked…"

"What if you needed to eat? Or use the bathroom?" she said. David and Carolyn both had tears in their eyes by this point, but tried hard not to actually cry.

"He said that I ate too much anyway, so if I was bad, I didn't get to eat," Lance said. His cheeks turned red. "If…if I had an accident, I had to clean it up. He said bad kids have to clean their own messes." Terry looked away for a moment, unable to hide her disgust.

"What about if you had to see a doctor?" she finally asked.

"He told me to be quiet," he said, shaking a little more. "Sometimes he'd make up my name or tell them I fell down the stairs. He told me to never say a word to the doctors." Terry moved even closer to him.

"Lance, I know this is hard for you, and you're doing a great job, but I have to ask this: did your birth father ever hit you with a whip?" Lance nervously fidgeted and looked over at the Sweets. Despite the wetness in their eyes, they gave him encouraging smiles and nods. Lance looked back down.

"Yes…he was…he was really mad that night. It…hurt…worse than the other things…it really hurt," he said close to tears.

"And did he take you to a doctor afterwards?" Lance shook his head.

"No…I…I don't remember how but I…woke up in the closet. It was so cold, and it hurt so much. I thought…I thought…"

"What did you think, Lance?" she said.

"That I was going to die," Lance said in a near whisper. "My birth dad said that dying is where you hurt real bad and then you sleep forever." Tears finally started to dribble down his face. "I just wanted to sleep…I wanted him to stop hitting me…I…I can't stop being bad."

Lance finally broke down and began to weep. Terry looked up, her own eyes moist.

"Your Honor, I ask for a short recess so that Lance can get a hold of himself before Mr. Anders questions him," she said. The judge nodded.

"We'll take a ten minute recess," he said, banging his gavel. A bailiff appeared to take Lance out of the courtroom. When he touched Lance's arm, Lance jerked away.

"No!" he shouted at him, and then refused to move. Terry leaned close to him.

"Lance, you need to go with this gentleman here, all right?" she said. "I'll come see you in a moment and give you a glass of water or something." Lance finally stood and still crying walked out of the courtroom through a side door. The Sweets both started to follow him, but Terry stood in their path.

"David, Carolyn, I know you want to go to him, but you can't right now. Not during the hearing."

"Why not?" Carolyn asked. "Can't you see how bad he's hurting? He needs us."

"I know. The things he was saying…it made me want to cry too," Terry said. "But while he's testifying you can't speak to him. It would seem like you're coaching him."

"We wouldn't have to say anything," Carolyn begged. "If we could just hold him…until he stopped crying. We wouldn't say a word."

"I'm sorry, no," Terry said shaking her head. "But I will tell him that you're thinking of him and that you love him."

David listened to all this, rage building in his heart. _'That monster…what he did to Lance…and Lance still thinks he's a bad kid. Even after everything we've told him…all because of him.'_

Finally he stomped out of the courtroom away from Terry and Carolyn.

"Give him a couple of minutes," Carolyn sniffed. "He's just upset. He needs to get a hold of himself too."

"I don't blame him. What Andrew did to Lance…no one should go through that. Especially a child."

* * *

David wandered the courthouse halls, trying to find some way to control the anger inside him. Most people who knew him would never say that he was an angry man or prone to losing his temper. In fact, many of his friends were amazed at his ability to keep his cool under pressure, to remain congenial in the face of other people's rage.

But all that would fly out the window if someone ever hurt Carolyn in any way. And now that also applied to Lance.

Sometimes, it almost scared David, how important Lance had become to him. Before this whole mess of a hearing, he hadn't thought much about it. Now he was being forced to consider all sorts of ideas: the fact that someone else out there considered Lance their son, the question of how far he would go to protect his family, and the reality of how much Lance struggled with his self-esteem, his feelings of personal worth, and the cruelty of what had been done to him.

David finally sighed as he slapped his hand against a wall and looked down while taking a deep breath. He knew he needed to be strong: for Carolyn, for Lance. David was beginning to feel overwhelmed in his role in all this, but he always tried to keep in mind that he wasn't the one that had to endure Andrew's savagery.

He walked back to the courtroom, certain that they would be starting soon. Carolyn would need him. So would Lance, especially for Anders' series of questions. He began to grind his teeth a little. David knew that Anders was going to try to break Lance down. He only hoped he could keep his temper in check.

* * *

As he entered the courtroom, Carolyn rushed over to him and embraced him. He returned the embrace, holding her close.

"David, are you…."

"I'm all right now," he said. "I just needed to clear my head. We should sit down. It's going to re-start soon and we need to be as calm and supportive as possible for this next part." Carolyn nodded and David gave her a quick kiss before moving with her to sit down. Terry re-joined them a moment later.

"He's calmed down some," she said. "He's stopped crying, but I hope this next part will be quick; he still seems pretty upset."

"I hope Anders will be proud of himself," Carolyn huffed. "Harassing a scared little boy."

"Don't worry, the judge will stop things if he goes too far," Terry assured them.

After the judge returned and sat back down, Anders approached the bench.

"Your Honor, I would like to do my cross-examination now."

"All right, Mr. Anders, but I'd ask that you remember that you are dealing with a seven year old," the judge said.

They brought Lance back in and he sat back down in the chair. His face was still red, but he had stopped crying and sniffling. He hung his head downward.

"Lance, are you all right?" the judge asked. Lance nodded without looking up.

"Yes, sir," he mumbled. Anders approached him.

"Lance, your father is here to stop the Sweets from adopting you. Do you understand why?" he asked.

"Um…you said he wanted another chance," Lance answered.

"That's right. He does. Do you think he should get another chance?"

"I…I don't know."

"Tell me, were you a bad kid?" Anders asked.

"I must have been," Lance said thickly. "Or my birth father wouldn't have had to hit me so much."

"Those foster homes you were in, they sent you back to the orphanage because you behaved badly, didn't they?"

"Yes."

"Well then, you acted badly. Do you think you should get another chance?" Anders asked. Lance gulped.

"I…I want to be good," he said.

"You do now. You didn't before. If we give you a second chance, don't you think your father deserves one?"

"I…I guess. But, he doesn't love me," Lance blurted out.

"There's more than one kind of love, Lance," Anders said. "Some people show it by giving you things, like the Sweets. But some people have a harder time showing it."

"Is there a question here, Your Honor?" Terry said.

"Move on, Mr. Anders," the judge warned.

"Lance, your father admitted that he did some bad things, but now he wants to be a better father. Don't you think you should stay with your real father?"

No…David is my real father. My birth father, he said….he said…" Lance began to shake again. "He said he would kill me," he said barely above a whisper.

"What did you say, Lance?" Anders said. "Speak up."

"He said he would kill me!" Lance shot back, a bit hysterical. No one could hide the shock on their faces that Lance's words generated.

"When…when did he supposedly say this?" Anders said, trying to recover.

"That night…the night he…whipped me," Lance choked.

"You mean the night he was drunk? Lance, do you know that people say things they don't mean when they are drunk?" Lance shook his head vigorously.

"No…it's why he whipped me. He said he was going to kill me because…I…"

"Because he was drunk? Out of his mind? Do you think he really meant it?"

"Your Honor," Terry said. "He's scaring Lance."

"Mr. Anders," the judge warned.

"Your father was upset, mourning the loss of a friend and you've already admitted that you misbehaved a lot," Anders continued. "So what do you think drove him over the edge?"

"I…I didn't want it," Lance whispered.

"What did you want Lance? What happened that night?"

Lance's eyes widened and his breathing sped up. He was vaguely aware that people were speaking to him and around him. He felt it slightly when he fell to the floor. But he was no longer in the courtroom. At least not in his mind.

For the first time ever, he was re-living that particular night, not in a dream, but while he was wide awake.

'_No…no…please stop that…'_

'_What's going on...You sick freak!'_

'_No daddy no…I didn't want it.'_

'_No son of mine is going to do that. I'll kill you first.'_

Then the crack of the whip. The searing pain. Then nothing, blackness.

* * *

Back in the courtroom there was a panic. The Sweets were desperately trying to get to Lance, but were held back by some bailiffs. The judge had called for an ambulance and Terry and Anders stood there silently.

Lance was now lying prone on the floor. His eyes were open, but were almost completely dilated as he continued to gasp for air. A bailiff was kneeling down beside him. He tried calling his name, shaking his shoulder, but Lance remained unresponsive and rigid.

"Please let us help him," Carolyn cried. "He's scared, and he can't breathe."

"Your Honor, he needs us to help him calm down," David angry and insistent. "He'll pass out otherwise. He's done this before."

Just as David was saying this Lance made a loud choking sound and his whole body jerked. His eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness. The bailiff watching over him saw that Lance's breathing slowed down to the barest of movement. At that moment, the EMTs arrived and ran over to treat him.

"Someone should stay with him," Terry insisted. "And it can't be Mr. Jensen. He needs to go back to his prison cell," she said with some satisfaction. The Sweets watched as they gently lifted Lance onto the gurney and began to strap him down. They placed an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

"I agree," the judge said. "Ms. Nigel, you're his lawyer, you shall be responsible for him. We will not resume until we know the boy's condition."

"But Your Honor, the Sweets should be the ones…"she began to protest.

"The Sweets are still not his legal guardians," the judge interrupted. "If you want to arrange visitation, you may, but it must be supervised in some way. Now I suggest you go with the child."

Terry nodded and grabbed her files and stuffed them in her briefcase in a dash so she could join the EMTs. They began to carry Lance out of the courtroom. Carolyn tried to grab Lance's hand as they passed her, but was brushed away. Terry followed closely behind.

"Meet me at the hospital," she called back to David and Carolyn. "I'll make sure you see him." She tapped the shoulder of one of the attendants. "Where are we going?"

"Sandol General," he said his voice clipped.

"Meet us there," Terry shouted at the Sweets as she left.

David and Carolyn stood there for a moment, numb to everything except for one fact.

Their child had just been taken away in an ambulance and they weren't even allowed to comfort him.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital, the Sweets found Terry on the phone near the front desk, making the latest in a series of phone calls. After a moment of waiting, she hung up and faced them.

"I called Doctor Colinablanca," she said. "By now she's on the phone with the physician here, explaining Lance's medical conditions and history. And I just got off the phone with the judge. He's arranging it so that starting tomorrow, you can visit Lance at the place the court is keeping him as long as I'm there with you."

"How is he?" Carolyn asked softly.

"I spoke to the doctor here a little bit ago. He seemed to think Lance was fine," Terry said. "Just passed out from the hyperventilating and stress. They were going to run a couple tests, to be sure, but they doubt they will keep him here overnight."

"Thank God," David muttered. Terry cleared her throat.

"David…I almost hate to ask this but…in the courtroom, you said Lance has done this before?" she said. Both the Sweets nodded. "That has to be hard to watch. I can't imagine what it's like for you."

"It's not always like that," Carolyn snapped, defensive. "There are many good times. Especially these days. Yes, it's stressful sometimes, but we are very happy."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Terry said. "It's just…I've worked many custody cases and met a lot of parents. Most of them would be terrified to handle a situation like this. But you two…you not only accept the responsibility, you long for it."

"We wouldn't trade our time with Lance for anything," David said. "We're lucky to have him."

"I can see that," Terry mused. "But I can also see the work the two of you have put into taking care of him and building him back up."

"Ms. Nigel?" The doctor showed up. Terry and the Sweets rushed over to him.

"How is he?" they all asked at once.

"He's fine," the doctor said. "He should be able to go home in a couple hours. He'll just need some quiet and rest."

"Can we see him?" Terry asked.

"Are you family?"

"I'm his lawyer. I represent him in his custody case. The Sweets here are in the process of adopting him and have been given permission by the court to visit him." The doctor nodded and led them to Lance's room.

Lance was lying on a bed, his eyes closed. David and Carolyn moved swiftly toward him. Carolyn took his hand and kissed it, while David began to stroke his hair. At the Sweets' touches, Lance groaned and cracked his eyes open at them.

"Mom, Dad…" he moaned.

"We're here, baby," Carolyn soothed. "It's all right now."

"I'm sorry," Lance sniffled. David leaned close to him.

"It's ok sport. Why are you saying sorry?"

"I tried to tell them…I just couldn't," Lance said.

"You don't have to be sorry Lance," David said. "You were just scared is all. You did a good job up there."

"That's right. You were very brave answering those questions," Carolyn said. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I want to go home," Lance cried. David sat down on the bed and lifted Lance into his arms.

"I know you do, sport. But you can't just yet," he said, rocking Lance slightly. "Just a couple more days and then you'll be home. Just hold on a little longer." Lance began to shake his head.

"I won't get to go home, will I?" he said. "Because I'm bad and I keep doing bad things." David sat him up and looked him in the eye.

"Listen to me, Lance. You are not bad. Do you understand me?" he insisted, his voice gentle but fierce. "You were never bad, and you certainly did not deserve what happened to you."

"But that man…my birth dad…they said..."

"I don't care what they said," David interrupted. "They are just saying things so they can get what they want. Your mother and I know you're not bad."

"Sometimes I do stuff I'm not supposed to," Lance mumbled, beginning to relax. David gave his shoulders a squeeze.

"You do," he agreed. "Sometimes you do bad things, but that doesn't make you bad. It just means you made a mistake. It's only bad if you refuse to learn from your mistakes. But you should know that no matter how many mistakes you make, your mother and I won't stop loving you." Lance leaned against David.

"I love you too Dad. And Mom."

Just then a nurse poked her head into the room.

"Excuse me, but if he's fully awake we need to check him out so that he can leave," she said. David carefully laid Lance back down onto the bed.

"Ok sport, we need to go now, but we will see you tomorrow," he said, trying to sound cheery.

"Please stay," Lance said, quiet but sad.

"I'm sorry baby, but we can't. You need to go and rest," Carolyn said. "I promise tomorrow we will spend some time with you." She gave him one last kiss to the forehead. "You have a good night."

Out in the hallway, Terry pulled the Sweets aside.

"I'll make sure he's given a quiet evening when he gets back to the center," she said. "And I'll wait until tomorrow to go to Florida, just in case there is any hitch in your being able to visit him."

"All right, but please go as soon as you can," David sighed. "We need this to end."

"I understand, I will work as quickly as I can," Terry nodded.

After she left, David and Carolyn collapsed into a set of nearby chairs.

"David, he'll be all right, won't he?" David pulled her close to him.

"He's upset right now, but he will be fine," he said. "You heard Terry. He's probably going to spend most of the evening and the rest of the night in bed."

* * *

Back at the center, Lance sat on his bed, sullen. After getting dressed and being checked out by the doctors, he was quickly taken back here. When he arrived they gave him a hearty, but rather bland meal that he mostly picked at. Afterwards, he was sent to his room for the night. It was a sterile room with bare, grey walls and nothing more than a desk, a chair, and a bed. His suitcase sat next to his bed on the floor.

He wished he had something to do, but they wouldn't let him take any books to his room. Bored, he decided to go to bed early, figuring that the sooner he went to sleep, the sooner the next day would come. Then he could see David and Carolyn again.

Lance walked over and turned out the light in his room, jumping into bed as it got dark. He found it hard to sleep. The bed was uncomfortable, the sheets scratchy. But most of all he missed Carolyn reading to him and David tucking him in. These things helped him to calm his mind so that he could sleep. He closed his eyes, determined to try to sleep.

It was only a couple minutes later that Lance heard a knock on the door. As it opened, the light came back on. Lance sat up and blinked as he saw Anders enter the room.

"Ah Lance. You weren't asleep were you?" he asked. Lance shook his head. "That's good because I have someone here who wants to see you." Anders moved aside, and Lance whimpered and started to shake when he saw who came in.

"Hello Lance. It's been a while," Andrew said, grinning at him.


	16. Year Two, Confirmation, part 3

Author's Note: Ok, I decided that that was a cruel place to leave off for the weekend, so I decided to try to post the final part of this section. It will be another very intense chapter, but I promise that after this, it will not be so dark for a long while...

I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. In spite of my hopes and dreams...

Once again, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And...

**Cobalt6233**: I'll admit that while I enjoy writing this overall, these last two chapters were hard to write at times. Glad you appreciate the work though. And yes, it seems like David becomes more 'Booth-like' as the story progresses, but Booth isn't as physically demonstrative in his affection as David is. You can see David's influence echoed in Sweets as an adult with the way he keeps trying to hug people...including Booth! :D Since you figured out that I was trying to base David off Booth somewhat, my challenge to you is this: can you guess which two female Bones characters I used as the basis for Carolyn? Hint: if you think about who Sweets is the most affectionate toward, you have your answer.

**Super Ario**: Yeah, I love writing the fluffy scenes with young Lance. ;)

**Fear Herself**: I really didn't want to leave you hanging all weekend. ;) Although you may not be happy by the end of this chapter...

**Mjels**: Um, wow. ;) Glad you've enjoyed it thus far. There is a lot more coming...

**TimeWitch16**: As Sweets would say, "Wow...Sorry to keep saying that..." :D Once again, I'm very flattered by your comments.

Warning: Once again, this chapter should be considered with the highest possible T rating. Contains violence and descriptions of child abuse.

Year Two—Confirmation—part 3

"What's the matter Lance? Don't want to say 'hi' to your old man?" Andrew asked, still smiling.

"Hello," Lance managed shakily. He looked down, unable to look Andrew in the eye.

"Why don't I leave you alone for a bit?" Anders said, turning to leave the room. "After all it's been two years. You probably have a lot of catching up to do." Anders shut the door behind him, and Lance thought he would pass out again. Andrew just kept smiling and moved closer.

"What's wrong Lance? Nothing to say now?" he taunted. "You sure had a lot to say in court." Lance wanted to run, but found himself frozen in place. Andrew sat on the bed with him, his smile starting to fade.

"You know, I knew, I just knew as soon as that whore gave birth to you that you would be trouble," he said. "Do you know that after they arrested me they added five years to my sentence because of you?"

"I'm sorry," Lance mumbled. With a snarl Andrew grabbed Lance by the shoulders and slammed him into a wall, pinning him there.

"Sorry? Is that all you have to say? Sorry?" Andrew hissed at him, their faces inches apart. "You ruin my life and all you can say is sorry?" He tightened his grip on Lance's shoulders, making him wince.

"Now all this stuff you're saying in court…you're making it worse."

"Please," Lance whimpered. "I won't say anything else. Just let me go." With another grunt of fury, Andrew moved one hand from Lance's shoulders to his neck. He watched Lance's eyes widen.

"I've been thinking about you there, in prison," he said. "When they told me some rich, old couple wanted to adopt you, I couldn't believe it. I mean, why anyone would want you is beyond me." Andrew began to squeeze, and Lance gasped for air, tears starting to run down his face.

"But I told myself that I'd be damned if I was going to let you lead a cushy life while I rotted away in jail," Andrew continued, He loosened his grip on his throat, and Lance coughed.

"Mom and Dad said that I'll come home with them," he cried. "Dad said…" Andrew slammed him against the wall again.

"**I'm** your father. Not him," Andrew said enraged. He grabbed a handful of Lance's hair and pulled so that Lance would be forced to look him in the eye. "Say it. Say that I'm your father. Say it," he said giving Lance's head a hard shake.

Lance trembled under Andrew's grip. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. His mind flashed back to the past year that he had spent with the Sweets. All the times Carolyn read to him, watched over him when he was ill, and played with him. All the times David talked to him, held him after a nightmare, laughed with him while they watched television together.

All the times they told him that they loved him.

"No," he whispered. Andrew looked shocked, like he had been slapped in the face. Lance had never said 'no' to him before. Not once.

Andrew's expression quickly became cold, and he began to squeeze Lance's throat again. He struggled to breathe.

"I could kill you right now," Andrew whispered into his ear. "Right now and no one could stop me." Lance desperately clawed at Andrew's hand, but couldn't get it to budge. He felt his bladder let go as the fear and lack of oxygen overtook him. Finally Andrew loosened his grip again.

"Don't worry Lance, I won't kill you," he smiled as he watched Lance try to pull in big gulps of air."But I'll never let the Sweets have you either," he said. "I already got you out of their house. And that whore who gave birth to you will never sign those papers. She'll just run off like she always does. Then they'll lock you away somewhere, like they wanted to do in the first place."

Andrew took Lance by the shoulders and turned him around. Then he pushed him toward the bed so that Lance was laying face down. He leaned in close to him.

"But don't worry," Andrew whispered in his ear again. "I'll be out soon enough and when I am; we'll be together again." Lance felt himself becoming sick and prayed that he wouldn't throw up with Andrew right there.

"I noticed that you didn't tell them the whole reason why I whipped you Lance," Andrew said. "We both know why too. Because if those geezers who want to adopt you ever found out the truth about you, about what you were doing that night, they'd be so repulsed, they'd never want you."

With that Andrew covered Lance up with his blanket up to his ears. Anders knocked on the door and walked in. Andrew stood up.

"Time to let the boy sleep," Anders said. Andrew smiled and bent down close to Lance one last time.

"I'll be seeing you Lance," he chuckled in his ear. "Soon." The two of them left Lance's room, closing the door and turning off the light.

Soon after they left, Lance could no longer stop himself, and leaned over the side of his bed and vomited. After he was done, he rested his head back on his pillow and just lay there shaking. Even though the dark scared him and he could feel the cold dampness where he had wet himself, he couldn't move. The things Andrew said and did filled his mind, pushing out almost every other thought.

_'I'm never going home,'_ he thought. _'My birth dad will get out and he'll find me and kill me. But not before…before…'_

Tears continued to stream out of his eyes, but he found himself becoming more and more rigid and still. Soon he even stopped crying.

In the back of his mind, he remembered how one of Andrew's girlfriends told him that she liked to imagine herself somewhere far away when life became too much for her.

He wanted to be home with David and Carolyn. But since he couldn't have that, his mind chose the next best thing.

His mind decided to take Lance somewhere far away. Where no one or nothing could reach him at all.

* * *

The next morning David looked over at the alarm clock for the third time and groaned. His sleep had been restless, uneasy, and he felt tired now. David then looked over at Carolyn, who was still asleep and frowned. _'She looks as exhausted as I feel,'_ he thought to himself. He ran his hands over his face; this whole ordeal was draining on every level. David promised himself that when this was over, he was going to go to his friend Jack's cabin by the lake. Just him, Carolyn and Lance. It would be quiet, and they could relax. He was sure Lance could use some quiet time with them so that he and Carolyn could comfort and console him.

He sat up and reached to turn off the alarm when the phone rang. He picked it up on the first ring to try to avoid waking Carolyn. It was Terry.

"David…you and Carolyn need to come down here to the center where they are keeping Lance," she said. David was still groggy and could not read her tone.

"I thought we weren't supposed to visit him until the afternoon," he said. "But if they moved the time up, that's fine. Carolyn and I…"

"What is it?" Carolyn said waking up and lifting her head.

"David…it's Lance," Terry said. "I...I can't talk about it on the phone. Just come down here now. Right away."

Now fully awake, David felt a deep chill spread through his whole body.

"All right, we'll hurry over," he said and hung up the phone. Carolyn had sat up and was staring at him.

"David, what's going on?" He immediately pulled her into an embrace.

"That was Terry. Something's wrong, she wouldn't say what," David said struggling to keep his voice level. "We just need to head to the center where they are keeping Lance right now." He let her go, and noticed that while her eyes were swimming with tears, she said nothing and just nodded.

* * *

Neither of them said much as they got ready and drove out to the place that Terry had given them directions to yesterday. Driving up to it, David grimaced. _'It looks even more depressing than the orphanage, Lance was in before._'

After signing in at the front desk, the Sweets were led to a room down the hall. Waiting there was Terry, Anders, the judge and another man that they did not recognize. Terry walked toward them.

"David, Carolyn, please sit down," she said motioning to a nearby couch. As they sat down, Carolyn's eyes darted around to all the sad, silent faces, and her heart sank.

"Oh God," she whispered, her worst fears coming to the front of her mind. "It's Lance. He's…he's…" She stopped unable to finish her thought. Terry's eyes lit up as she realized what Carolyn was thinking, and she patted Carolyn's shoulder.

" No, Carolyn. It's not like that," she said. "Lance is here, and he's being looked at right now by Doctor Murray." Both David and Carolyn's faces became confused.

"Doctor Murray? Why? What happened?" David asked looking around. "We want to see Lance."

"I think it'd be best if we tell you what happened and then let Doctor Murray talk to you first," Terry said. The Sweets looked around, waiting for someone to speak. Finally the man they didn't recognize stepped forward.

"I'm Daniel Siebrig. I am the head supervisor here. I want to tell you upfront that we are doing everything…"

"Just tell us what happened," David answered, punctuating every word with anger. Siebrig nodded, sighing.

"One of my people came in to check on Lance," he said. "She noticed that he had vomited onto the floor at some point during the night, so she tried to ask him if he was all right. But she couldn't get him to talk or move on his own. We have a nurse here on staff, so we took him to see her."

"Tell them what she found," Terry said harshly. Siebrig lowered his head.

"The nurse found bruises on his shoulders and neck," he said. "The bruises on the neck suggest…finger marks."

"So...you're saying that someone came into Lance's room last night and throttled him so hard that they left bruises?" David said rising to his feet, his tone threatening. Carolyn began to shake.

"I wasn't there last night. Someone on the night staff must have let them in," Siebrig said. "But believe me, when I find out who it was, they will be fired. For starters."

"How is Lance now?" Carolyn sniffed. "Did he say who did it?" Siebrig shook his head.

"The nurse couldn't get him to talk either," he said. "She cleaned him up and changed his clothes, but could find nothing physically wrong with him. We saw in our files that he was being treated by Doctor Murray, and we thought he could help. So we called him."

"They also called me," Terry said. "And I ended up calling the judge who arranged for all of us to meet here. We also sent in a court appointed psychiatrist to consult with Doctor Murray."

"Just to assess Murray's judgment," the judge said. "But don't worry. If our psychiatrist agrees with Doctor Murray's assessment of the situation, I will allow Murray to determine what will be done with the boy."

"I think that the more important question to ask is what will be done with Andrew Jensen," Terry spat. "Mr. Anders here can try to hide it, but I talked to the staff. They described two people that match his and Mr. Jensen's description who were here last night to visit Lance."

"Oh my God," Carolyn said, starting to cry finally. David began to walk slowly and deliberately toward Anders.

"You…you left my son in a room…with that man…" David growled.

"He's Andrew Jensen's son," Anders whined. "The judge had set up a provision that family could visit as long as a lawyer or court member was present…That doesn't just apply to you….He said he wanted to see his son…it's been two years." David moved even closer to him, making Anders flatten himself against a wall. Seeing how David was acting, Carolyn got up and walked toward him.

"It's also been two years since he gave Lance permanent whip scars," David said quietly and a little too calmly. "So tell me, were you in the room when he gave Lance those bruises or did you actually leave him alone with him." David's hands shook slightly.

"The boy seemed fine when we left," Anders blurted out. "My client just wanted a chance to visit with his son alone."

"David," Carolyn said. She took both of his hands into hers in an attempt to soothe him. She knew that if she didn't do that, David could lose control. Not that there wasn't a part of her that secretly wanted that to happen.

"Let me get this straight," the judge interrupted. "Mr. Anders, you're telling me that you ignored a court order mandating that any visits to Lance Jensen had to be supervised. Is that correct?" Anders looked down. "I see," the judge continued. "Well then, let me say that you have not only seriously hurt your case; you should be concerned about what I will tell your superiors."

Just then, Murray walked into the room followed by another woman. The Sweets immediately rushed over to him.

"How is he, Doctor?" Carolyn said. Murray shook his head.

"I'm afraid Lance is in a catatonic stupor," he said.

"What does that mean?" Terry asked.

"Something extremely traumatic happened to him last night," Murray continued. "Something his mind couldn't handle. Ms. Nigel told me about his testimony earlier in the day and the resulting panic attack. The stress of that certainly set the stage for this. That along with whatever happened last night…it was the last straw."

"You mean Jensen assaulting him made him lose his mind?" Terry asked. Murray winced.

"No, I don't think it was what he did to him physically. He had endured much worse than that before," he said. "More likely it was something he said to Lance, something that scared him so much his mind shut down, retreated a bit you could say." Murray sighed and shook his head. "Despite how bad the prognosis is, I don't think Lance has 'lost his mind' as you put it. He's just…taking a break from dealing with the world for a while."

"Doctor Dowling, what do you think of Doctor Murray's assessment?" the judge asked. The woman identified as Dowling shook her head.

"Well Doctor Murray is the expert," she said. "And from what I've seen I agree with his diagnosis of stupor: the staring, the unresponsiveness, the lack of movement. These are all symptoms of it. But I'm not sure if I agree with him on how severe the problem is. I mean catatonic stupor in a child is a serious thing."

"I agree that it's serious. But I also believe that it's temporary," Murray said. "I've been treating Lance for a year now. He has a very strong mind. I'm convinced that once he believes that the trauma that drove him to this is over, he will come out of it."

The Sweets stood listening to all this, growing more and more sorrowful.

"What can we do?" David asked in a mournful voice. Murray turned to the Sweets.

"Exactly," he said. "David, you and Carolyn are the ones who can help him. Spend time with him. Comfort him. Let him know that he is safe now."

"But Your Honor, the Sweets have been ordered to only have supervised visitation," Anders whined again. "And now the shrink they hired is pushing for Lance to be put back with them. Doesn't that seem a little too convenient?"

"Lance could still stay here, although that will probably slow down his recovery a bit," Murray responded. "But Your Honor, it has to be the Sweets who help him. Lance knows them, trusts them, and loves them. He needs that nurturing environment so that he can feel safe again. They simply need to spend time with him is all."

"Your Honor…"

"Mr. Anders, I'm sure you do not want to impede on the mental stability of a seven year old child, do you?" the judge said. Anders stopped and slowly shook his head. "Good," the judge continued. "This is what we are going to do: Ms. Nigel, you still need to go to Florida, correct?"

"Correct," Terry responded.

"Fine. Then I suggest you do so," he said. "Meanwhile, I'm granting the Sweets unlimited visitation to Lance as long as they keep him here at the center. Any further decisions will wait until Ms. Nigel gets back, and we see how the boy is doing." The judge rose to his feet and everyone joined him.

"Oh and outside of a courtroom, I order that Andrew Jensen not be allowed within one hundred yards of his son," the judge said. "Now, let's all hope for the child's speedy recovery."

The judge, Dowling and Anders all left the room. Terry prepared to leave as well.

"David, Carolyn, I'm so sorry this happened," she said. "If there is anything…"

"Just go. Get those papers signed," David said his voice flat. Terry nodded.

"Of course. I'll go now," she said. "Please call me office if anything comes up. They'll know how to reach me." She started to walk out, but stopped and turned to the Sweets.

"I hope he gets better soon," she said and then left. Murray walked over to David and Carolyn.

"I'll come by everyday to monitor his condition," he said. The Sweets nodded, the both of them sniffling.

"We should go see him," Carolyn said.

"Now I should warn you that Lance will not be himself," the psychiatrist said. "It will seem like he doesn't know you're there and his lack of response will be a bit frightening. But trust me; he is processing his surroundings, just on a very low level. He will know you're there and be aware of what you do."

"Thank you Doctor," Carolyn said tears lacing her voice. Murray noted David's somber demeanor.

"David, he will get better," he said, looking David in the eye. "You haven't lost him."

"All right," David sighed, nodding "Talk to you later." As the Sweets made their way away from the room, Murray shook his head sadly.

* * *

The Sweets carefully opened the door to Lance's room to find him sitting on his bed, facing the window. He had been dressed in a long sleeve tee shirt and jeans. David and Carolyn looked at each other and then moved closer.

"Lance? Lance baby, it's Mom," Carolyn said, moving to sit on the bed next to him while David stood next to them. When they looked into Lance's face, Carolyn gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

Lance sat there limply; his hands folded into his lap. His face was blank, showing no expression. But what disturbed them were his eyes. The round, brown orbs were empty: of feeling or awareness. And they didn't move in response to the Sweets' presence. Just kept their hollow, distant gaze.

Trying hard to smile, Carolyn stroked his cheek.

"Hello baby," she said. "It's…so good to see you." She moved closer to take his hand and flinched when she saw the bruises on his neck.

"Your father's here," she said. "The judge…he said we could visit you whenever we want and for as long as we want. So we can spend all day together." She pulled him close to her so she could hold him. He fell, boneless, into her embrace, like a warm, breathing doll. She kissed his temple.

"I love you, Lance" she said. Lance showed no response to Carolyn's care of him. She trembled a bit but continued to hold him and murmur reassurances.

David watched all of this, horrified by what he saw. _'That's not Lance, that's not my son,' _he thought. _'That's a shell where my son used to be. There's nothing of Lance there.'_ He felt himself becoming sick; he couldn't stay here. He turned and quickly left the room.

"David!" Carolyn called after him as he slammed the door. She felt some tears finally make it down her cheeks, but turned to Lance and clung to him tighter.

"It's all right," she told him. "Your father will be back later. He…he loves you so much."

* * *

David paced the halls. With every step he became even more miserable. He felt guilty about leaving Lance, but he couldn't see how he could face going back into that room and seeing him that way. He finally collapsed into a chair and put his head into his hands.

For the first time ever, David Stephen Sweets felt like an old man. Beaten down by life and unable to cope.


	17. Year Two, Commitment, part 1

Author's Note:This begins the last section in Year Two. This may be angsty, but not as intense as the last couple of chapters....

Once again, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

And as always thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this....

**Cobalt6233, TimeWitch16**: Wow! :D It's always the ambition of every writer to have characters that come to life for their readers, rather they make you feel hatred or sympathy. Thus, your comments were very flattering. Thank you.

**Elipeel**: It was nice speaking to you. ;)

**Fear Herself, Ladykale1985**: Don't worry. There's more to come. ;)

**TearsXsolitude**: Thank you. Welcome aboard...;)

Year Two—Commitment—part 1

Meanwhile back in Lance's room, Carolyn was trying to get Lance to eat. The staff had brought him some chicken noodle soup on a tray, and sat it in front of Lance. But he wouldn't even look at it. Carolyn tried putting the spoon in his hand, but even though she was able to get him to hold it, he still wouldn't move. Sighing, she took the spoon back and scooped up some of the soup. After blowing on it a bit, she held it to his lips. To her relief, he opened his mouth slightly and took the soup in. She proceeded to keep feeding him, only stopping to wipe his face once in a while.

"I'm glad you're eating," she told him. "They told me you weren't eating much, and that's not good for you." Eventually Lance finished, and Carolyn made him wash it down with a bit of water. After moving the tray away, Carolyn sat down on the bed with Lance and held him against her.

"What would you like to do now?" she asked him. Lance did not respond.

"I'm sorry I don't have a book to read to you," she said while rubbing his arm. "I can get you some for later. But right now, I imagine you're tired. You probably haven't slept much." She turned him so that he faced her, and she smiled and brushed waves of hair away from his forehead.

"Here, I'll lay you down so you can get some sleep," Carolyn said softly. "And don't worry; I'll be here when you wake up." She then leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Don't be scared, Lance. You're safe now," she whispered into his ear. She then laid him down and got up to put his blankets over him. A sound at the door caught her attention, and Carolyn turned to see David standing there. She turned back to Lance and grinned.

"Your father's here to tuck you in," she said. "I know how much you like that." Wordlessly, David walked over and wrapped the sheets around Lance. He reached to tousle his hair, but stopped himself after looking into Lance's eyes. Instead he straightened back up and looked a little to the left of Lance.

"Sweet dreams, Lance," he said and then moved to stand near the window. Carolyn moved the chair closer to the bed and sat next to it to watch him sleep. After a while, Lance's eyes finally closed, and he appeared to be sleeping. The Sweets stayed that way silently for a time: Carolyn watching over Lance, David gazing out the window. Finally Carolyn stood up, and David turned toward her.

"I'm going to go get some things for him," she said. "That blanket we keep in the family room is much softer than the blankets here. I'll get that for him along with Mr. B so that he can sleep better."

"Good idea," David said quietly.

"And I'll pick up some books for him. He'll enjoy being read to."

"Sounds good, I'll go ahead and take you," he said.

"No, David," Carolyn said. "Lance shouldn't be alone right now."

"Fine, I'll go. You can stay," David said tonelessly.

"David, please," Carolyn pleaded. "Lance needs you to spend time with him." David's expression grew weary.

"All right, I'll stay," he said sinking into the chair she was sitting in. Carolyn moved to kiss his cheek.

"I'll be back soon," she said, walking out the door.

After she closed the door, David looked back down at Lance. He noticed how peaceful he looked, and was comforted by the idea that, at least while asleep, Lance still seemed like the boy he called his son. He reached over and very gently patted Lance's shoulder.

He knew it was wrong, but he just couldn't look into Lance's eyes while they were open. And he knew that at some point Lance would wake up again, and stare with that vacant expression. David got back up and stood by the window. The sun was shining and it was beautiful outside, but David knew that nothing could lift his grey mood.

What he didn't see was Lance's eyes open for a few minutes before shutting again.

* * *

Carolyn returned with a bag of things. She had brought the blanket, the stuffed bear and a stack of books from their favorite book store. She also brought some Chinese food, in the hopes she could get Lance to eat it.

"I know he only ate a couple of hours ago, but he didn't eat much," she said setting the books and the food on the desk in the room. She offered some of the food to David, but he declined and left the room. Carolyn sighed and went over to the bed to see that Lance had woken up. She sat him up and brought over some of the food and started to feed him. Her hands trembled a bit as she did it, and she got frustrated at times when she dropped some of the food due to her unsteady grip.

She was angry at and sad for David at the same time. She knew this was hard on him, but she couldn't help but feel betrayed somehow.

After he ate, Carolyn re-joined him on the bed and read to him for a while. When she tired of that, she tried talking to him. But all throughout, Lance remained still and unresponsive. Hours passed, and by the end of the day, Carolyn simply held Lance in her arms quietly. David visited sometimes, but he refused to sit with Lance.

The nurse would come in and try to help take care of Lance, but Carolyn insisted on doing many things herself and only allowed minimal assistance.

Soon, it was time to put him to bed for the night. Carolyn struggled, but was able to get Lance into some pajamas and settled him back into bed. She wrapped the blanket she brought from home around him, and carefully placed his teddy bear under his arm.

"Good night baby. You sleep now, and I'll see you tomorrow," she said. Carolyn waited until Lance closed his eyes to leave the room and turn off the lights.

She met David waiting for her in the hallway and the two of them walked out to the parking lot. Before he could get into the car, she grabbed his arm.

"David, please," she said. "You can't be this way with Lance. You heard what Doctor Murray said: even if he doesn't respond, he knows what's happening around him." Angry tears formed in her eyes. "He'll know you are avoiding him."

In a rare moment, David Sweets found himself becoming frustrated with his wife.

"How can you be so sure, Carolyn?" he asked her in an angry tone of his own. "How can you look at him and say that _that_ is our son?"

"Lance is in there David, I can feel it," she insisted. "He just can't cope with things right now. He needs you to help him."

"Help him how, Carolyn?" he said. "By feeding him like a baby? By watching him stare at a wall?"

"By letting him know that he's safe and that you love him," she said as gently as possible. David turned from her and was silent for a long moment.

"We need to go home," David finally said in a voice that let Carolyn know that he would not discuss it further.

After getting home, the rest of the night was mostly spent in tense silence, with David barely speaking a word. As they went to bed, Carolyn tried to console David into talking.

"David, "she said, gently caressing his arm. "I know this is very hard for you. I just want you to know that I still love you." She reached over and kissed him softly. David turned to her and gave her a firm embrace.

"Go to sleep Carolyn," he said as he let her go. He then laid down and turned out the lights, ending the conversation there.

* * *

The next day was more of the same. Lance continued to not move or speak; he simply stared. Carolyn showed up early to change Lance's clothes and feed him breakfast. This would be followed by Carolyn continuing to read to Lance while she held him. David came with her, but kept his distance, only saying a few brief words to Lance and never looking him in the eye.

Eventually Murray showed up to see how Lance was doing.

"How's he been?" he asked. "Have you been able to take care of him?"

"Well, I've been able to get him to eat," Carolyn answered from the bed. "And he will get up and walk if you pull him up and guide him. I've been reading to him." Carolyn smiled and ran her fingers through Lance's hair. "He's been enjoying that."

"That's good," Murray nodded. "He's not resisting you in any way. He trusts you to take care of him until he can handle things again." He then turned to David. "How are you two holding up?"

"It's heartbreaking, of course, to see him so scared," she said. "But at least we can spend time with him." She hugged Lance close to her. "We'll get through this. We always do."

"And you David?" he asked. David turned for a moment from his gaze out the window.

"I'm fine," he said his voice tightly controlled. "Besides you're here to take care of Lance. Focus on that." He turned back away.

"Terry called us," Carolyn added, trying to break up the tension."She said that she will probably be back tomorrow evening with the papers signed."

"That's good to hear," the psychiatrist nodded. He kept staring at David, who seemed agitated at being watched. Finally Murray sighed and headed for the door.

"Well, I think Lance is showing some subtle signs of improvement," he said. "Don't be surprised if he comes around at almost any time. I'll come by tomorrow to see him, but if he shows any change, please contact me immediately."

"We will and thank you again," Carolyn said. After he left, she turned back to Lance "It's time for your dinner, isn't it? Well let's get you something to eat." She began to move off the bed, but David turned and stopped her.

"I'll go," he said. "The staff told me that there is a good diner around here. I'll pick him up something from there."

"But David…" she started, but he paid her no mind and swiftly walked out of the room.

Carolyn leaned back against the wall next to the bed and held Lance close to her again.

"I'm sure your father will bring you something good." She then turned him so she could look into his eyes. He stared back at her with the same empty expression he had had for the past day and a half.

"Your father…he misses you," she said tearfully. "I wish you could talk to him. I know that it's killing him that you're hurting so much."

* * *

After dinner, Carolyn found herself too weary to read or even speak, so she just held Lance while sitting with him. She didn't think he minded the silence too much. Back at home, Lance would often spend hours quietly reading or playing. Sometimes she found him sitting by the window in the front room, his face locked in concentration. Carolyn figured that he was working through things in his head. He seemed to need these periods of contemplation. Afterwards, she would watch him go and try to talk to David.

David told her once that Lance would come to him with all sorts of questions: about life, people, and the two of them. Carolyn knew that Lance appreciated these talks because David was open, honest and didn't talk down to him. He didn't flinch from Lance's direct and personal questions, although she noticed that Lance had recently stopped being so direct with other adults. _'David probably told him that it's not a good idea,'_ she thought.

Carolyn looked back down and the child in her arms and took his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. _'Maybe that is what he's doing now. Working through things in his mind.' _The thought made her angry again.

'_When he wakes up and David's not here to talk to him, it will break his heart.'_

* * *

A couple hours later, Carolyn dressed Lance for bed and settled him in.

"Go to sleep, baby," she said to him, kissing his cheek. "I love you."

After he fell asleep, she found David to take her home. It was a quiet ride back to the house, the two of them hardly looking at each other. Once home, David began to lock up the house, when Carolyn tapped his arm. He turned to her, and she swiftly slapped him in the face.

"Carolyn," he said, putting his hand to where she slapped him, his eyes wet.

"How dare you?" she said, angry. "How dare you turn your back on your son? When he needs you the most." David stood still and quiet while Carolyn raged at him.

"Being a father is not just having fun with him when times are good," she said. "It's also taking care of him when things are at their worst. You knew that was your responsibility when we adopted Lance." David backed away from her and opened the door to leave.

"Then maybe I'm not cut out to be a father," he mumbled as he walked out. As Carolyn watched him leave, she began to weep.

'_David is a good man. Why is he doing this? Why does he think he's a bad father?'_

* * *

David found himself alone in a bar that he used to visit once in a while many years ago. Depressingly enough, it seemed just as it was back then. He found a booth where he could sit alone and ordered a large scotch. It had been a long time since he had gone out for a drink.

But he hadn't been in such a dark place for a long time either.

He was getting ready to order another one when he was startled by a visitor to his table.

"Hello David. Mind if I sit here?" Doctor Murray asked. He held a drink in his hand and sat it in front of David. "Here, this one's on me. The bartender said that this is what you ordered."

"What are you doing here?' David asked, frustrated. Murray went ahead and sat down.

"I called your house because I was concerned about you," he answered. "I talked to Carolyn and from what she told me, I figured I'd find you here."

"Look, I don't want to talk," David said his voice short. "I just want to drink my drink and be left alone." He took a long drag from his drink. "Besides you're my son's shrink, not mine."

"I'm aware of that," the psychiatrist answered. "But like you said, Lance is my patient and anything that affects him is my concern. Your behavior right now is definitely a problem."

"Don't lecture me Doc until one of your kids is terrorized so much he becomes a vegetable," David snapped.

"Is that why you think I'm here? To tell you what a bad parent you are?" Murray asked.

"Isn't it?" David countered.

"David, Carolyn told me that throughout this whole trial, she's been getting support from you and from her friends, like Lauren. Lance, he's been getting support from the two of you and all the other adults who have placed a stake in his future. Carolyn also says that you've focused all your attention on making sure that she and Lance are taken care of. What I want to know is: who is supporting you?" David opened his mouth to speak, but looked downward instead.

Carolyn and Lance…especially Lance…they're the ones who need support right now," he finally said.

"So that means no one is helping you then?" Murray nodded. "What makes you think that you don't need help?"

"What makes you think I do?" David snarled back.

"Why wouldn't you? You life is being greatly disrupted by an ugly legal proceeding. On top of that your son, the focus of said proceeding, is adding to your stress with his psychological issues." David's eyes flared up with anger again.

"Don't bring him into this," he hissed. "Lance is not to blame for my troubles."

"Maybe not directly…"

"Not at all. Period. End of story," David interrupted. "Do not blame my son for my problems." He then took an angry swig of his drink before sitting it back down.

Murray was a bit surprised at David's outburst. He knew that David was protective of Lance, but was confused with how defensive he became there. Suddenly Murray had a flash of insight as he thought back to one of his recent sessions with Lance.

'_And how are your mother and father, Lance?'_

'_They're good, I guess. Mom joined a gardening club.'_

'_And your father?'_

'_I…I think he's sad about some things.'_

'_What kinds of things?'_

'_His brother died. He's sad about that. And I think he's worried about work and me.'_

'_You don't like to see him sad, do you?'_

'_I try to help. Dad says it helps him when I love him.'_

Back in the bar, Murray's eyes grew wide. _'Of course,'_ he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry David. I was wrong," he said. David raised an eyebrow.

"About what?" he said.

"About you having no one to support you. Someone had been supporting you all along, but most of us didn't notice," Murray said. "It was Lance." David gulped and turned away.

"Lance's love, his trust in you, his strong desire to not see you hurt…it's what was comforting you, sustaining you." Murray leaned back and frowned. "But now it's gone with Lance in this state." David sniffed and looked at the table.

"Pathetic. What kind of father leans on his own kid?"

"David you work so hard at taking care of everyone around you, protecting them; you leave little room for yourself. In fact you probably fool most people into thinking that you don't need any protection. You've even found ways to shift Carolyn's attention away from you while she tends to others." Murray continued to try to look David in the eye.

"But Lance is a perceptive and empathetic child," he continued. "He senses that you need support and tries to give it to you because he loves you. And that has to feel good: that someone notices you hurting and tries to do something about it. Especially someone who you think has been through much worse than you." Murray became concerned when he saw David's shoulders shake.

"I promised him that I wouldn't let anyone hurt him anymore," David said his voice shaky, his head still down. "He was so scared that Andrew was going to kill him, and I promised him that I wouldn't let anything happen to him." David stopped for a moment and began to grip the edge of the table he was sitting at. Murray could see that his eyes were filling with tears.

"Jensen…he could have killed Lance," he continued. "He could have taken my son away, and there was nothing I would have been able to do to stop it. God knows what was going through Lance's mind while that monster…." David put his head in his hands, trying desperately to regain some control.

"David…what happened to Lance was terrible, but you can't blame yourself for it," Murray soothed. David put his hands back on the table, but didn't raise his head.

"Lance is such a great kid. He doesn't deserve any of this. And now…."David stopped and took a couple of short breaths.

"No one deserves this, David. But Lance certainly does not deserve to have the support of his father taken away. He's hurting; you both are. You need each other now."

"Lance does not need me," David said shaking his head. "I've been nothing but a lousy father the past couple of days. I doubt he wants much to do with me."

"I've been treating your son for the past year, and I can tell you that he has a big heart. I think if you were to tell him how you feel, he would forgive you." David finally looked up, a look of disbelief on his face.

"How? How can I talk to him when he's like this? How can he forgive me in this state?"

"He will be listening to you, David. Even if it doesn't seem like he is. I'm sure he's been listening to everything the past couple of days."

"If that's true, then he will know how I've avoided him," David said. "Who says he'll forgive me or even trust me after that. Or worse…" David reached over and finished his drink, trying to brace himself. "What if Lance doesn't get better…not for a long time…or ever?"

"Then you will have to decide if this love is worth it," Murray said. "Worth having to re-build your relationship all over again. Worth the possibility that you will have to take care of a child that may never get better. Because ultimately the only thing you feel as guilty about as the fact that you weren't able to protect Lance is the possibility that a tiny part of you regrets letting him into your life. You wonder if that love is worth all this pain."

David slouched, close to tears again.

"I love my son," he whispered. Murray got up to leave.

"I believe you, David," he said. "That's why I know that you will figure out what you need to do."


	18. Year Two, Commitment, part 2

Author's note: Here's the next chapter. Now, I responded personally to **TimeWitch16's** question about how long this will be, but I got to thinking that other people may be curious too. The truth is that I plan to cover the time period up until Sweets' parents pass away. However, I will not be touching on every single year in my story. I will skip a year or two once in a while.

Still that will make this quite long....

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Sad, but true.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I hope I didn't scare too many of you away with my projected story length. ;)

For something shorter. *shameless plug* I've decided to go ahead and make my other story (The Observations of The Friend) a three part story, like I had intended. By the time I post this, Chapter Two will be up. Also there will be a new story up this week, (The Doubt in The Doctor) which is my response to the recent Bones episode. Bones on the Blue Line. So, please check those out. :D

**Elipeel**: While I was writing some of the more recent chapters, I noticed that I was using Dr. Murray more than every other side character. As a result, I think I did actually start making him more like Wyatt as time went on without even realizing it. By the time I figured out what I was doing, I decided that it still worked since I almost see him as Sweets' first mentor now: the one who started him thinking about becoming a psychologist. You will be seeing more of him in the future. And I hope to talk to you again as well some time.

**Fear Herself**: Yeah, Murray swiftly became my favorite side character for the reasons outlined above. Glad you liked that scene, that was the hardest one to write for that chapter.

**Ladykale1985, Spiceitup2007**: Again, thank you! :D Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**TearsXsolitude**: Wow! :D Thank you, again. I hope you will enjoy my upcoming work as much as this story. As for writing my own stuff...that's actually all I used to do. Writing fanfiction is a very new thing for me, despite having read it for a long time. I wanted to try it out for fun, and I'm having a blast doing it. Thanks for your support.

**Whybeme**: Yes, as **Cobalt6233** pointed out so well, David is quite Booth-like and yes it's intentional. It explains a lot about Sweets in my opinion. :D

Year Two—Commitment—part 2

The next morning, Carolyn was saddened to wake up and find that David was not there. Walking around the house, she discovered evidence that he had stopped by the house at some point, but he was still missing. Tearfully, she made a simple breakfast to take to Lance and drove off in her own car to see him.

After breakfast, Carolyn had settled in to read to Lance again. As she opened the book, she blinked hard and yawned.

"Carolyn, why don't you take a break? I'll read to Lance." Carolyn looked up to see David standing in the doorway. She noted that while he had changed clothes at some point, he still looked exhausted, worn out.

"Are…are you sure?" she asked hesitantly. David leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sure," he said. "I need to spend time with my son."

Carolyn got off the bed and David took her spot. He pulled Lance close to him and looked him in the eye. He gulped, but then he broke into a smile.

"Hello, sport. I've missed you," said, giving Lance a squeeze. He then leaned him to rest against his chest and picked up the book that Carolyn was preparing to read. Carolyn left them alone, a sad smile on her face.

David began to read from the page that she had marked. He read for several minutes, occasionally patting Lance's shoulders while he read. Soon, however, the words on the page seemed to blur together in David's eyes due to his tiredness. That was quickly followed by his eyes being clouded by tears. He tried hard to continue to read, but he voice soon became unsteady. Eventually he gave up reading and sat the book down. He then covered his eyes with one of his hands.

"I'm sorry, Lance. I just can't…" he said his voice cracking. "I'm sorry that I haven't been strong for you, the way your mother has. She loves you so much and has taken such good care of you." David stopped and sniffed hard.

"You deserve a better father than I've been the past few days," he continued. "I turned my back on you, and I wouldn't blame you for being angry with me. I just…" David choked a bit and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to not cry.

"It just hurts so much, seeing you this way. I should have protected you, and I didn't. I'm so sorry that I didn't." David felt his fingers growing wet as he lost the battle to stop himself from crying. "I love you…sport…." With that David finally broke down and wept, still holding Lance close to him with one arm.

After several minutes of grieving, David suddenly felt a pair of arms grab his waist. He gasped at the sudden movement and looked down to see that Lance had him in a strong embrace, his face buried into David's chest. He reached over to touch one of Lance's arms.

"Lance?"

"Please don't cry Dad," he said in a muffled, scratchy voice. Lance lifted his head, and David could see his tear-stained face and red rimmed nose and eyes. But what he stared into was Lance's eyes: they were full of sadness, but also empathy and love. "Don't cry," he said again.

David instantly pulled Lance into a near-crushing embrace.

"Thank God, thank God," he mumbled over and over again. David could not believe the relief he felt at hearing Lance's voice.

"Dad…what happened? What's going on?" Lance asked in a shaky voice. David immediately moved Lance so he could look him in the eye.

"It's ok Lance. You're safe now," he soothed. "You…you were just scared for a while. Like when you have those scary memories. But it's all right now." Lance's eyes started to grow big as bits of that night came back to him.

"My birth dad…he said…he said he would…"

"Don't think about that right now," David insisted, scared that Lance might lapse back into panicking. He went back to holding Lance tight against him. "All that matters is that you're all right."

The center's nurse knocked on the door and opened it slightly. David looked her way, still sniffing hard.

"Call Doctor Murray," he said. "Tell him Lance woke up. And find my wife Carolyn and tell her to come here." The nurse nodded and left, closing the door. David leaned back against the wall, continuing to hold Lance and still struggling to not cry.

* * *

The Sweets waited outside Lance's room anxiously. Murray had shown up a few minutes ago and had asked to talk to Lance alone. David and Carolyn were extremely reluctant to leave him, but eventually relented. Soon Terry showed up with Lauren close behind her.

"How is he?" they both asked.

"He woke up," Carolyn beamed. "He's talking to Doctor Murray now." Both Terry and Lauren breathed sighs of relief.

"Thank God," Terry said. "I was worried that he wouldn't get better after seeing him like that. I guess that shrink was right."

"He's a smart guy," David mumbled.

"What news have you got for us?" Carolyn asked. Terry smiled as she pulled a file out of her briefcase.

"I just got back with a form that Miss Place signed relinquishing her parental rights," she said. "I even got a signed statement from her stating her desire that Lance be adopted by the two of you so that he won't ever be returned to Jensen."

"That's wonderful," Carolyn said. Terry nodded.

"I will hand these over to the judge tomorrow morning," she said. "With this and that stunt that Jensen pulled, I can almost guarantee that your adoption will go through."

Just then, Murray stepped out of Lance's room.

"How is he…really?" Carolyn breathed.

"He's a bit…emotionally fragile right now," he answered. "He's been under a great deal of stress and Jensen frightened him quite badly. I don't think he will lapse back into stupor, but he will suffer some aftereffects."

"Did he tell you what Jensen said?" Lauren asked.

"No," Murray said, shaking his head. "And I can tell you that now is not the time to ask him. He will have to be ready to talk about it in his own time and no sooner."

"Will he be all right?" David asked.

"Yes. In time," the psychiatrist sighed. "Unfortunately this whole ordeal probably has reversed some of the progress that he has made, if not made him go a couple more steps back in some ways. But eventually, he will recover and move forward again. Tell me, is he any closer to being able to go back home with the Sweets?"

"I have the paperwork right here from Miss Place," Terry grinned. "Lance should be able to go home after tomorrow."

"Excellent," Murray nodded. "The sooner he can go back to his life with them, the better it will be."

"Doctor, can Lance handle speaking to someone tomorrow?" Terry asked. The Sweets looked over at her, confused.

"I don't think he should testify anymore," Murray answered. "He's re-lived his past too much recently. The continued stress…"

"No, it wouldn't be testifying or even in the courtroom," Terry interrupted. "The judge told me that he wants to speak to Lance privately in his chambers."

"Why?" David asked.

"My guess is he wants to ask Lance what he wants," Terry said. "I know that may seem strange, but I've been in this judge's courtroom before. He always takes the kids aside at some point and asks them what they want during these custody battles. He does it privately so that there are no adults around to pressure the children into saying things they don't mean. He really does care about the children that come through his courtroom."

"That should be fine then," Murray said. "In fact, I think it's a good idea."

"Why so, Doctor?" Carolyn asked.

"Well throughout this trial, Lance has been unable to make any decisions on his own behalf," he said. "That feeling of helplessness is only adding to the stress he's already facing. He needs to feel some measure of control over his own life, and this discussion will not only give him the chance to decide what he wants, but to vocalize it. I think it will be good for Lance."

"Good," Terry said, turning to leave. "I'll tell the judge that he will talk to him. I will see all of you tomorrow." As she left Lauren walked over to Carolyn and gave her a hug.

"I need to go too," she said. "Tell Lance that I'm glad he's feeling better and that I'll see him tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lauren," Carolyn said as Lauren moved away. "For everything."

After saying goodbye to David, the Sweets were left alone with Murray.

"I ask that you resist the temptation to discuss the upcoming talk with the judge with Lance," the psychiatrist said.

"Why?" Carolyn asked.

"Lance needs to figure out what to say on his own," he answered. "The three of us know that his mind works on a different level than most children his age. He needs to develop a sense of autonomy to help him deal with the pressures he will inevitably face as an extremely gifted child."

"He's right," David said. "Lance is going to have to do a lot of things at a younger age than most because of his intellect. We need to let him know that we believe in him as a person." David placed his arms around Carolyn. "He'll know what to say tomorrow. I'm sure of it."

"I suppose I should stop coddling him so much," Carolyn nodded.

"Don't think that Carolyn," Murray protested. "Believe me; Lance appreciates how much the two of you dote on him. It's making him stronger, not weaker. You're doing just fine."

Murray started to leave, but stopped and turned back to the Sweets.

"Oh, and I've talked to the people here and they ok'd it: one of you should stay here with Lance tonight," he said. "He's all right, but like I said, he's sure to have some…reaction to what has happened. It's best that he not be alone right now." David looked over at Carolyn.

"You should stay," he told her. "You've been so good with him the last couple of days. He needs…" Carolyn put her fingertips onto David's lips to stop him.

"No, David. You should stay," she said softly. "You need to be the one who stays with him."

"Carolyn," he said his voice sad. But she just shook her head.

"David, I love Lance, and I know he loves me and thinks of me as his mother," she said. "But the bond he has with you is different. You make him feel safe and secure. He looks to you for guidance and strength. Without even trying, you manage to say the things he needs to hear. You're the father he's always needed." Carolyn placed a hand on his cheek.

"And right now you're the person he needs to help him stay strong so we can finish this," she said.

"Carolyn," David said his eyes wet again. "I love you. I'm sorry for the way I've been these past couple of days." Carolyn embraced him.

"David, you've been punishing yourself enough," she said, giving him a kiss. "I'll go first and say my good nights and my good byes to him. Then you should go and take care of our son." She let him go and walked into Lance's room. David leaned against a wall and tried to compose himself.

"She's right, you know," Murray said, prompting David to stare at him. "You're a good father, David. You should believe in yourself. Lance does." Murray left, and David sighed again. He then walked over to go into Lance's room.

Carolyn was sitting on the bed, holding Lance and stroking his back. Upon seeing David, she kissed Lance's cheek.

"Good night, baby," she said. "I love you."

"I love you, Mom," Lance said. After giving him one more squeeze, she got up and left the room. David looked down at Lance and smiled.

"Come on sport, you should get some sleep," he said. Lance looked at the floor and squirmed a bit. "Don't worry," David said, putting his hand on Lance's shoulder. "I'm going to stay with you tonight. So go ahead and lie down."

"Dad," Lance said, fidgeting a bit more.

"What is it?"

"I…I…could you…hold me?" Lance mumbled, a deep blush forming on his face. David sat down on the bed next to him.

"Of course I will," he said. He noticed that Lance still wouldn't look up, so he put his arm around him. "Hey, don't worry about it. After everything that's happened, it would ease my mind to be able to keep a close eye on you." Lance finally looked up and leaned over to hug him. David could hear faint sniffling.

"It's going to be ok, Lance," he said. "It's almost over."

David moved to lie down on the bed. Lance curled up beside him, resting his head on David's shoulder. David then put his arm around him as he pulled the blanket onto them.

"Comfortable?" he asked. He could feel Lance nod. "Good, now go to sleep."

They lay there quietly for a few minutes, but then Lance stirred.

"Dad," he said, sitting up.

"You should be getting some sleep," David sighed.

"Dad…are you sorry?"

"Lance, I don't know how to make up the past couple of days…"

"No, not that," Lance interrupted. "Lauren, that other lawyer…they said that you and Mom wanted to adopt a baby. Are you sorry you adopted me instead?"

"How on earth can you think that?" David asked, a bit horrified. Lance sniffled again.

"I know you and Mom have been hurt…a lot. And you didn't even want an older kid at first. So why?" David pulled at Lance and made him lie down next to him again.

"Lance, I will tell you….Loving someone is never easy," David said. "Loving someone, really loving them, means accepting everything that goes with it. And sometimes that includes a lot of pain and heartache. But we do it anyway; do you know why?" Lance shook his head. "Because despite all that, loving is the best part of life. It completes us. Makes us whole. It far outweighs any pain that may come along." David began to tousle Lance's hair.

"When I met your mother almost thirty years ago, I knew that I needed her to make my life complete," he continued. "It's not always easy, but my life is better with her in it. But sometimes we don't know who we are meant to be with. Your mother and I thought we were meant to have a baby, but that wasn't to be. Then we thought we were meant to adopt a baby, but that wasn't right either. We were stumbling about, lost, because we didn't know who our child was yet." David held Lance closer.

"Then we met you," he said. "And just like when your mother and I found each other, we knew then that you were the person to complete our family. The fact that we had to adopt you doesn't change the fact that we were meant to be your parents and you were meant to be our son."

"So we could never regret finding you Lance. I've seen people try to live without the people they were meant to be with. It leaves a huge hole in their world. Every day, I am grateful to have found my wife and son." He patted Lance's back a few times and sniffed a little.

"Now, you should go to sleep," he said. There were a few more moments of silence, until David felt Lance grab his hand.

"Dad…don't be sad anymore," he said. "I forgive you." David started a bit at that.

"Lance…I…I..."

"Dad, you said that sometimes I do bad things, but that didn't make me bad or made it so you and Mom stopped loving me. You said that it was only bad if I didn't learn, and that no matter how many mistakes I made, you'd still love me." Lance gripped his hand. "I still love you Dad."

David looked over at Lance, amazed at the eloquence of his words and the depths of his heart. He held him even tighter.

"Thank you sport," he said his eyes a little watery. "I love you too. Now, I won't say it again; go to sleep." Lance nodded and closed his eyes. As David stared at the ceiling, he began to feel at peace for the first time in days.

'_Guess I'm not the only one who says what someone else needs to hear,'_ he thought. David closed his eyes, and the two of them slept peacefully through the night.


	19. Year Two, Commitment, part 3

Author's note: Ok, last part of Year Two. Year Three is actually going to be shorter and a lot more light-hearted, because I'd like to break up some of this intensity and angst with my other great love: fluff ;) Hopefully no one minds the shift in tone for a little while....

Oh and there is a plot point that I took some creative liberty with in regards to Sweets' background....I guess I'll see if anyone notices....;)

To my great disappointment, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It means a lot. :D

**Cwgirlup**: I think you're going to like this chapter....;)

**Fear Herself**: No problem on the review. And as far as something sad....you'll just have to read the chapter ;)

**Cobalt 6233**: Thanks on that. I think that someone like David would not always find raising a kid like Sweets to be an easy thing. For a variety of reasons. And as you pointed out, having a dad like David (especially having recently lost him) would make Sweets imprint to someone like Booth (a father himself).

**TimeWitch16, Ladykale1985**: Thanks again to both of you for your reviews. :)

**TearsXsolitude:** Again, wow! Thank you. :D I think fanfiction is a great outlet for my love of writing as a hobby. ;) One of these days, I'll get back to work on my original stuff, but school does tie up a good bit of my time. Maybe during break....

Year Two—Commitment—part 3

The next day, David woke up early. He felt rested, but he knew that he needed to head home to get ready for the hearing that day. He woke up Lance and explained that he would see him later. Despite his attempts to reassure him, he didn't enjoy leaving a very somber Lance behind at the center.

David met up with Carolyn at home and soon the Sweets returned to the courthouse to meet with Terry.

"Good morning," Terry smiled. "Everything is set. The judge received the paperwork a couple of hours ago, and has been reviewing it. He will be calling us into the courtroom soon."

"What about Lance?" Carolyn asked.

"He'll be here any minute," Terry answered. "He'll be sitting in the courtroom until the judge wants to speak to him. They'll probably be a decision not long after that."

"I'll be glad when this is over," David mumbled.

"We all will David," Terry said with a weary smile. She then noticed a bailiff motioning toward her. "Time to go in."

* * *

They filed into the courtroom and saw Lance sitting in a chair near the bench. His eyes lit up when he saw the Sweets and David and Carolyn waved at him. The judge came in and a few moments, everyone was settled in.

"I've read through the papers that Ms. Nigel has given me showing absolutely no opposition from Miss Place to this adoption," the judge said, turning toward Anders and Jensen.

"Your Honor," Anders began. The judge held up his hand.

"Save it," he said. "I'm not interested in any more of your arguments. Right now I would like to have a word with Lance Jensen privately." He rose up from his seat. "Bailiff, will you escort the boy to my chambers and we will resume in thirty minutes." He banged his gavel and walked out. Terry walked over to Lance as the bailiff began to guide him out.

"What's going on?" Lance asked.

"The judge just wants to talk to you and ask you a couple questions is all," Terry said.

"Are Mom and Dad coming?"

"No, Lance you have to talk to him alone," she said. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just be honest and you'll do fine." Lance nodded and let himself be directed out of the courtroom.

* * *

After a short walk, Lance came to the judge's chambers and found the judge sitting behind an imposing oak desk. He had taken off his robe and was wearing a sweater instead. He motioned toward a chair.

"Sit down, Lance." He did so and the bailiff left the room, closing the door behind him. "Did Ms. Nigel tell you why you are here?"

"She said you wanted to talk to me. Ask me questions," Lance said in a quiet voice.

"That's right," he said, leaning back in his chair and rocking it while looking carefully at him. "First of all, I have to ask, how you are feeling? I know that this hearing has not been easy for you at all."

"I'm ok," Lance shrugged. "I…I just don't like to talk about my birth father."

"Well that's fine, we don't have to talk about him at all," the judge continued. He paused to stare at Lance in the eye for a moment. "Lance, several people have told me that you are a bright kid, so I will be straight with you. What I want to know is how you want this hearing to end."

"What do you mean?" Lance asked.

"I mean this whole thing has been about you. There are several people in there fighting to have this end they way they want. If you could have things turn out the way _you_ want, what would happen?"

"I would go home with Mom and Dad and I'd live with them and they'd be my parents," Lance answered without hesitation. "Forever and ever."

"Mom and Dad…you mean Carolyn and David Sweets," the judge said. Lance nodded. "Why do you want to live with them?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why. I understand why you don't want to live with Andrew Jensen. But I want to know why you want to live with the Sweets in particular. Most places you could live would not have people that would treat you the way Mr. Jensen did. So why the Sweets? Is it the way they treat you? The things they give you? The opportunities they have to offer? What is it?"

Lance slumped down in his chair and looked at the carpet; his eyes darted about. After staying that way for a minute, he finally looked back up. His gaze was intense and serious.

"Because they love me," he said. "Back when I…lived with my…birth dad…" Lance seemed to choke on those words. "I used to think no one loved me. I don't know why, but it hurt." His eyes grew shiny. "But Mom and Dad, they always love me. Do you know how I know?" The judge shook his head.

"They tell me. Every day. Mom says that you shouldn't let a day go by without telling your family that you love them. So they tell me every day that they love me. But even if they didn't say it, I know they do."

"How so, Lance?" the judge asked, intrigued.

"'Cause in the morning, Mom is there, waking me up and she's smiling. When I go down to breakfast, Dad is there and he says 'good morning'. When I come home from school, Mom is smiling again, and Dad says 'I missed you'…." Lance stopped and sniffed for a second. "They're always happy to see me, no matter what they're doing. Other people I lived with…sometimes they were happy to see me, but most of the time they just looked…tired, like I made them tired and unhappy. I know it's my fault because of how scared I get when I think about my birth dad." Lance shuddered a little.

"But it's not that way with Mom and Dad….I don't know why they love me so much. I wasn't their baby. But I know they do." Lance began to tear up again. "I love them too, and that's why I want to go home with them. Please."

The judge reached for a tissue and handed it to Lance, his own eyes becoming moist.

"There, there Lance, don't cry," he said. "Thank you for telling me this. I know what I should do now." The judge stood up as did Lance. "I want you to go back to the courtroom with me, so that you can hear my decision."

"Why?" Lance said.

"Because you helped me make it," he said. "Besides, you're the person my decision affects the most. I have a feeling that I'm going to set the course your life is going to take."

* * *

Soon the judge was back in the courtroom, and Lance was back in his seat, staring at the Sweets. David and Carolyn kept smiling and waving at him and the judge smiled at that. He then sat straighter in his chair.

"This has been an ugly trial," he said. "I know many custody cases are, but I can't help but be disgusted by the behavior of many of the adults here. The point of these hearings should always be one thing: the best interests of the child. Here we have a child whose best interests have not been considered for most of his life. And that's a shame because from what I see…" The judge looked over and smiled at Lance. "He's a bright, good-natured child, and he deserves the best possible life. In order for that to happen, there's really only one decision I can make." He took a deep breath.

"I'm granting the Sweets' request to become Lance Jensen's legal guardians. They are the people who can best take care of this boy." The Sweets embraced each other, with tears in their eyes.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets," the judge said, and they looked over at him. "In order to grant this request, I'm requiring that you maintain Lance's therapy with his psychiatrist to facilitate his emotional and mental health for at least another year, at such time he will be assessed." The judge then softened his expression.

"You've done a good job taking care of this child. It would be the darkest sin to take him away from you," he said. The judge stood and lifted his gavel. "I've made my decision. Lance Jensen will be turned over to the Sweets immediately. That is all." He banged his gavel and left the room. Terry got up and walked Lance over to David and Carolyn.

"Does this mean I get to go home?" Lance asked. The Sweets knelt down in front of him.

"It means that we're your parents now," Carolyn said. "In every sense of the word. You're coming home with us, and no one can take you away ever again." Lance looked over at David, who grinned.

"You're stuck with us now, sport. Forever and ever."

Lance lunged forward and embraced David who held him while Carolyn put her arms around the both of them. Terry and Lauren watched this scene and smiled. Terry didn't want to break it up, but she needed to.

"I know you've probably had enough courtroom drama," she said. "But I was able to arrange an appointment with a court clerk to get all the papers signed so we could finalize things today."

You knew how this would turn out," David grinned as he stood back up.

"I was pretty sure all along," Terry smiled back. "I knew that any rational person could see that he should stay with you. Anyway, the appointment is in about an hour. We can just wait here until then."

* * *

After Lauren said her goodbyes the Sweets, Lance and Terry left the courtroom.

"I'm going to go check on that appointment," Terry said. "I'll meet you back here." She walked off down the hall.

"Mom, I'm thirsty."

"All right," Carolyn said. "We'll take you to get something."

"You two go ahead," David said. "I'll wait here for Terry in case she comes back, so she won't wonder where we are."

"Are you sure?" she said. "Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good. You go ahead and get him something." He looked down at Lance and smiled. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Lance nodded and the two of them left, leaving David alone in the hallway. He leaned back against a wall and let out a huge gust of air as he began to think about the last couple of weeks and how happy he was that they were over. Soon harsh tones of a conversation caught his attention.

"I can't believe that whore. Always messing things up."

"Just be glad that things didn't turn out worse. They decided not to add any more time to your sentence."

"Yeah, but I still have to rot in jail while that brat gets to live the good life spoiled by those…"

David walked over to see Anders and Jensen standing alone in the corridor. When they saw him, they stopped talking. At the sight of Andrew, David began to see red.

"Well speak of the…" Andrew started, but David cut him off. Despite his age, David Sweets was 6'3 to Andrew Jensen's 5'7, and he had been athletic his whole life. He easily tackled Andrew and threw him to the ground. Andrew yelped as David used his knee to pin him to the ground and leaned down hard. He then reached for Andrew's throat, his eyes cold with fury.

"How does it feel?" he asked him, tightening his grip a bit. "How does it feel to have someone strangle you? Scary isn't it? I'll bet you felt really powerful while you did this to my son."

"What are you doing?" Anders gasped.

"He's…he's my…"Andrew gargled. David leaned a little harder causing Andrew to whimper.

"He's not your son. He's _**my**_ son and don't you forget it," he said as he moved his face closer to Jensen's "If you ever come near me, my wife, or my son…if you ever touch my son again…" David leaned close to whisper in Andrew's ear. "I will kill you."

Andrew gulped, not just at David's grip on his throat, but at the cold and emotionless way he said those words. There was nothing there but force of will, a promise. A vow.

David, then let Andrew go and got to his feet, still not taking his eyes off of him. Anders bent down and helped his client to his feet.

"You'll be hearing from us," Anders sputtered. "We can press charges." David gave them a smile that chilled both of them.

"You do that," he said. "And I'll make sure to let the officer who arrests me know why I hurt you. I'm sure I can convince them to let your prison mates know that you got beaten up by a 53 year old man. That will certainly enhance your reputation there."

"You can't…" Anders started, but Jensen nudged him hard, stopping him.

"Just drop it," he mumbled, unable to look David in the eye. The two of them left quickly. David watched them leave, a grim satisfaction filling him.

A moment later Carolyn returned with Lance. She tried to suppress a gasp as she saw David's expression. Even though he wasn't looking directly at her, she could see that his eyes were cold and hateful and his face was still hard, full of resolve. She had only seen this look from him a couple of times in her life, and both of them were when someone had threatened her. She swallowed hard; she had a creeping feeling that this time it wasn't her that David had grown so angry over.

"Dad?" Lance said, nervous at seeing his father's expression.

At the sound of Lance's voice, David's demeanor underwent a complete transformation. He turned to them, his posture relaxed, and his eyes warm and cheerful. The angry look on his faced had melted away and was replaced with a large friendly grin.

"Hey sport, did you get something good?" he said, pointing at the pop bottle in Lance's hands. Lance instantly relaxed.

"Cherry cola," he smiled. David suddenly snatched it from him and began to take a drink.

"Hey!" Lance pouted a twinkle in his eye. David smiled after taking a couple sips and handed it back to him.

"Thanks sport, I needed that."

"Dad," Lance whined, a smile playing on his lips.

Carolyn watched this with amusement. She knew that David and Lance liked to tease each other this way sometimes, to lighten the mood. She was glad that whatever had prompted David's dark expression seemed to be past, and she didn't really want to know what brought it on.

* * *

After a while, Terry took them to office where the forms to finalize the adoption were waiting. After filling out a few papers, the clerk looked up at them.

"Now, did you want to change the boy's name? So it'd be the same as yours?" he asked them. Both the Sweets looked over at Lance.

"Would you like that?" David asked him.

"Can I?" Lance asked, his eyes begging.

"It's your name, baby," Carolyn said. "It's up to you." Lance turned to face the clerk.

"I want the same name as Mom and Dad," he said, smiling and blushing at the same time.

"We'll go ahead and change it," David grinned. "His full name will be Lance David Sweets." Lance goggled at David.

"You're my son," David responded to his expression. "I want to give you my name. That is unless you just want a new last name." After a couple of seconds, Lance's eyes became wet, but he still smiled at David.

"Thank you," he warbled, sniffling a little. But he quickly regained his happy expression. Carolyn put her hand on David's arm and beamed.

"All right then," the clerk said, filling out the form. "From now on kid, your legal name is Lance David Sweets. Hope you like it."

* * *

Later the Sweets took Terry out for dinner to thank her. Lance was subdued, but well behaved at the restaurant. Still he looked relieved when they parted ways. After a quick stop by the center to pick up Lance's things, they headed home. Lance practically ran into the house as David unlocked the door. He kicked off his shoes and took off across the foyer. David and Carolyn chuckled.

"I think he's glad to be home," she said softly. She leaned against David. "And I'm glad he's here. It feels like…like…"

"Like home now," David grinned. He took Carolyn into his arms and kissed her.

They didn't see it, but Lance was watching them from around the corner. He loved how close and caring David and Carolyn were. Andrew always fought with his girlfriends, and they would leave. But his mother and father were kind to each other, gentle. It felt good to be a part of their world. Lance walked a little further into the room, and David spotted him out of the corner of his eye.

"Come here sport," he said. Carolyn turned and held out her arm to him. As Lance walked over, he thought about how furious Andrew would have been if he had caught him standing nearby while he was kissing his girlfriends, but then he smiled as he thought about how his parents were always happy to see him. The Sweets leaned down and enveloped Lance into the embrace they were sharing.

"Welcome home Lance," Carolyn said.

* * *

Later that night, after a couple hours of quiet slumber, the Sweets woke up to the sound of screaming coming from Lance's room. They got up and ran to his room. Turning on the light, they were frightened to see that Lance was not having a nightmare. He was wide awake.

"No, no no…Mom, Dad," he screamed. Soon his cries became inarticulate, tears streamed down his face. David sat down next to him on the bed on one side, Carolyn on the other.

"Lance what's wrong?" David asked him, trying hard to keep his voice steady.

"He's going to get me. He's going to get me," Lance babbled between sobs. David reached over and began to brush tears off his face.

"Shh...It's all right," he said. "You're safe now." Carolyn reached for his hand.

"No one's going to hurt you, baby," she soothed. But to their dismay, instead of calming down, Lance seemed to cry harder, his face turning red.

"No, he's going to get me. He said he would," Lance cried, his voice taking on an edge of hysteria. He began to shake visibly. "He said he would take me away from you. Then he was going to hurt me and then…" Lance suddenly scrambled out of bed and started to crawl underneath. David quickly moved to the floor and grabbed Lance's foot to stop him. After struggling for a minute Lance gave up and instead curled into a ball on the floor. He turned his face toward the carpet. "No, no, no," he screamed while pounding away at the floor with his fist.

David and Carolyn watched this scene horrified; they had never seen Lance this scared before. Neither of them had to ask Lance who he was talking about; they already knew.

David carefully reached for Lance and slowly began to turn him onto his back. Lance struggled against him at first, but quickly quit resisting and went limp in David's grasp. He then lifted Lance up toward him, so close their foreheads touched. He cradled him this way.

"Lance listen to me, listen to my voice," he said his voice calm and soothing. "He will not get you. He will never touch you again. We're your parents and you're safe with us." Lance closed his eyes, his cries becoming less hysterical. David closed his eyes too.

"Don't be scared. You're home now," he continued, soothing him. "I'm here, your mother is here. We won't let anything happen to you." David began to rock him slightly as he murmured to him. Lance's breathing slowed and his cries wound down as he became almost hypnotized by David's calm tone.

"We won't leave you," he said. "Not tonight. Not ever." David shifted Lance in his arms so that he could pick him up as he got to his feet. "You're going to stay with us tonight," he told Lance as he carried him. "We'll be right there with you."

Carolyn grabbed Lance's bear and turned out the lights as they left. Once in their room, she got the pillow they kept in there for Lance and put it on the bed. David laid Lance down, and he collapsed onto the bed, exhausted from his fit. His face was still red, his large brown eyes swollen and wet, but he was finally becoming calm. Carolyn climbed into bed and handed him his bear which he clutched tightly. David laid down on the other side of him and turned off the light. Lance gasped at the sudden darkness, but then he felt Carolyn's hand on his cheek.

"It's all right baby," she said. "We're here." Lance moved to snuggle against David.

"Sleep now," David murmured. "We will be with you all night." Lance closed his eyes letting the warmth of Carolyn's hand on his arm and the sound of David's breathing relax him.

"Dad?" he whispered. "Will I…will I get better?" He felt David put his arm around him.

"You will Lance, I promise. It won't be easy, and it may take a long time. But you will get better. Just know that your mother and I will support you and love you every step of the way."


	20. Year Three, Learning, part 1

Author's note: Like I mentioned before, Year Three will be shorter and fluffier. Thus the chapters are going to seem more drabble-like and do not have a unifying storyline.

*shameless plug* Also, by the time I've posted this, the first chapter in my new story should be up (The Doubt in The Doctor). It's a re-telling of the Bones on the Blue Line episode from Sweets' POV (someday I will get him out of my system ;D). There will be heavy spoilers for the episode, so if you haven't seen it, beware. But I actually do relate that story quite a bit to this story, so please check it out. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. As much as I'd like to...

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And an extra thank you to those who are following my other stories.

**TimeWitch16**, **Cwgirlup**: Yeah, I had a feeling a lot of people were going to like that scene between Andrew and David ;)

**Ladykale1985, Cobalt6233**: I think that strong, protective male role model is what Sweets needed at this point in his life...and is what he craves currently. As for Carolyn...well like I said I did have two Bones characters in mind when I wrote her...and I do think my two inspirations are quite sweet, each in their own way....

**Elipeel**: I love fluff about as much as I love angst. My favorite stories mix the two. Besides, I like to think there were some more light-hearted times in Sweets' childhood...;)

**Fear Herself**: Glad you're excited for Year Three. Hope you like it. :)

**TearsXsolitude**: Not to show my age (or nerdiness) too much, but I'm actually at the point where I love going to school. I just need to exercise better time management is all. ;) Anyway, hope you enjoy upcoming chapters.

Year Three—Learning—part 1

Lance sighed as he stared out the car window as Carolyn drove him to school. He really didn't want to go, and once again, Carolyn was worried about this. It had been over a year since she and David formally adopted Lance. The first six months afterward were very difficult, but they thought Lance was getting better. Then this started. Lance would try to sleep in, would drag his heels in getting ready, and then would mope the whole car ride to school.

David had noticed it too. While he didn't get to see the car rides first hand, he noticed that Lance had become more subdued lately in the mornings. He knew Lance had something on his mind, something that was driving him to distraction. But he seemed reluctant to talk about it.

Carolyn kept glancing over at him as she pulled into the parking lot of the school. She stopped the car and turned to Lance.

"We're here," she said. "Try to have a good day." Lance sighed again and reached for his backpack, sitting in the back seat. After he pulled it up into the seat with him and took off his seat belt, Carolyn reached over and stroked his cheek.

"Lance…if something is bothering you…you'll tell us, right?" she said. Lance started to blush.

"It's ok Mom. It's nothing," he mumbled. She reached up to brush some waves of hair off Lance's forehead, and then kissed him.

"All right, baby. I love you and I will see you later." Lance opened the door and got out of the car.

"Bye Mom," he said, closing the door behind him. He then walked to the entrance of the school, his head down, the very picture of misery. Carolyn began to worry even more.

* * *

After picking Lance up from school later that afternoon, and bringing him home, Carolyn watched as he flung his shoes off and ran up the stairs to his room. She sighed and went up the stairs herself toward the study so that she could talk to David.

David had returned to work some time ago, but only part time. He did most of his work from his office in the study at home and only went into his workplace for three or four hours a day while Lance was at school. When Carolyn walked in, he was stacking some papers into his briefcase to take to the office tomorrow. He did not look up as she sat down in a chair near his desk.

"David…have you talked to Lance?" she asked. David looked up at last and stretched his arms upward.

"Is this about school?" he said, settling back into his chair. "Because he hasn't talked to me about it either."

"I'm worried," she said. "Do you…do you think we're pushing him too hard? Maybe the school and the program he's in are too much for him right now. I mean I know he's gifted, but what if there's too much pressure?"

David frowned; the thought had crossed his mind. Especially the first few months after the adoption.

As Murray had predicted, Lance suffered some setbacks. For the first couple of weeks, Lance went through a phase where he would scream if he and Carolyn were both out of his line of sight for more than a few minutes. One time they were at a store and had accidentally gotten separated from Lance. He proceeded to sit down on the ground and cry loudly until he was reunited with the Sweets; then it took them another half hour to calm him down completely.

Even though that ended quickly there were other noticeable events. Lance had taken to sleeping in their room every night again, and would walk around the house clutching his teddy bear. When David would go to his study to work, Lance would beg him to let him sit with him. David didn't mind the company so much, since Lance was well-behaved, but he was a little disturbed at how Lance would sit there silent and still and just cling to him. David had been grateful that the whole adoption hearing had taken place after school had let out, so he didn't have to think about taking Lance out of school. But he did worry that he wouldn't be able to enroll him in the fall and that he would have to consider some sort of home schooling.

Soon, however, Lance seemed to work through his fear and began to make progress in therapy again. He started to talk about wanting to go back to school, so David went ahead and kept him enrolled, and Lance did not miss any school.

Now there was this reluctance to go to school. He thought again about what Carolyn had said, but then shook his head. _'No it's not the school itself'_, he thought. Lance's grades were not suffering at all, and his teachers noted that while he was rather quiet, he still participated in classroom activities at the level that he usually would. Plus, Lance was still very animated in his talks with David when sharing his new found knowledge.

"Carolyn," he finally said. "I don't think it's his studies. Lance loves to learn, and he's continuing to excel. You know that we never have to nag him to get his homework done."

"Then what?" she said. "He looks so unhappy going to school. I wish I knew what was bothering him." David nodded; he knew that he would need to find some way to get Lance to talk to him. He leaned back in his chair and put his hand to his chin_. 'I need an excuse to force Lance to spend time with me to talk.'_ Suddenly an idea came to him, and he smiled.

"Carolyn, have you got his costume for Halloween yet?" he asked. Carolyn grinned.

"Yes. It took a little doing to get one in his size, but it's what we talked about," she said. "He'll love it." David laughed a little at that.

Their son had recently become a Star Wars addict, and it was actually competing with his obsession with Voltron. Thanks to Lance, he and Carolyn were becoming well versed on the just cause of the Rebel forces in contrast to the evil of the Imperial Empire. And they knew that they would stop taking Lance trick-or-treating in a couple of years, so they tried to go all out with the costumes they gave him. So that he could have as much fun as possible.

David sat up in his chair.

"Let me take him trick-or-treating," he said. "I'll get him to talk."

* * *

A couple days later, Lance trudged into the family room, after school and found David sitting on the couch with a large box sitting next to him.

"Hi sport, I missed you. How was school?"

"Ok, I guess," Lance shrugged. David leaned toward him.

"It's Halloween," he said. "Ready to see your costume?" Lance's eyes began to twinkle a bit ,and he nodded while David handed him the box. He quickly tore it opened, and when he looked inside….David wished he could have taken a picture of Lance's face.

"Wow," Lance breathed as he looked into the box. He looked up at David with a huge smile on his face, and ran over to grab him for a hug.

"Thanks Dad," he said, holding him tight. David laughed and hugged him back.

"Hey sport, thank your mother too," he said. Lance turned and ran over to Carolyn to embrace her.

"Thanks Mom," he said. Carolyn smiled and was a little teary while she looked over at David. The two of them always cherished moments like this: seeing Lance so happy. She kissed his forehead.

"You're welcome, baby," she said warmly. "Now go ahead and try it on." He let her go so he could gather up his box and ran off toward the bathroom. Both the Sweets laughed at the flurry of activity.

"David, that was worth all the hassle of getting that," Carolyn smiled. She became a little wistful. "I wish we could give him more moments like these." David got up and held her close.

"There will be more times like this," he said. "I promise." Carolyn smiled again; she knew that David intended to keep that promise. The two of them held each other for a while and then started to kiss when they were interrupted by the sound of feet running toward them. They turned to see Lance enter the room.

He was dressed in a long brown robe with a tan tunic and slacks: an almost perfect replica of the outfits the Jedi wore in Star Wars. The outfit was even complete with a set of leather boots and a plastic Light Saber. Lance grinned and began to strike a pose.

"An elegant weapon of a more civilized age," he intoned in a serious voice. David and Carolyn laughed again.

"Come on Obi-Wan," David said. "Let's have dinner and then I will take you out trick-or-treating."

* * *

After dinner, twilight began to fall, and David and Lance headed out into the neighborhood. David carried a flashlight and a pillowcase for Lance's candy while Lance continued to fend off imaginary enemies as they walked. It was a quiet affair at first with the only words that Lance would say being 'trick or treat'. David tried to get him talking by asking how he was and about school, but Lance would just give one word answers and shrug. At one point, the houses became farther apart, and David decided to try a new tactic.

"So, your mother and I knew you would like that costume," he said. "We know you're a big fan of the Jawa Knights."

"That's Jedi Knights," Lance corrected him. David nodded his head.

"Oh right, of course, Jedi Knights. They're the ones who work with those guys in the funny white suits."

"No, those are StormTroopers," Lance said, exasperated. "They work for the Empire. They're the bad guys, and the Jedi are the good guys."

"Right, right," David said. "StormTroopers. How could I forget? They work for the head bad guy, Yoda."

Suddenly Lance stopped walking and pouted.

"Dad…you're doing that on purpose."

"Got you talking, didn't I?" David smirked. "So why don't you stop sulking and tell me what's been on your mind the past couple of weeks? Or do I need to keep going?" Lance sighed, and David put his arm around him as they walked.

"Come on sport," he said. "You're worrying your mother and me." Lance looked down and began to blush.

"There's this girl," he mumbled.

"Ah, woman troubles," David smiled.

"No, not like _that_," Lance said, irritated. "She…her name's Sandy Dunlap and she's…she's…"

"Pretty? Annoying? Scary? Funny?"

"Big," Lance interrupted. "Bigger than me. She's always following me around during lunch and picking me up and sitting me in her lap."

David tried very hard to stifle his laughter.

"And does she tell you why she's doing this?" he asked him. Lance pouted again.

"She keeps saying that I'm cute and that I look like a baby."

"Well Lance, don't take this the wrong way, but you are cute. I know your mother certainly thinks you are."

"I don't want to be cute," Lance said, sticking out his lower lip.

David could no longer contain his amusement.

"Dad," Lance whined as his father laughed.

"I'm sorry sport. But I'm not sure what I can do here. It's not like I can make you 'un-cute'."

"Dad…everyone treats me like a little kid."

"You _are_ a little kid Lance."

"Yeah, but…they treat me like an even littler kid yet," Lance said. "I hate being smaller than everyone else, and everyone thinking that I'm only five years old."

"I hate to tell you this, but I think this may be a lifelong problem," David mused. "I know that if your mother hadn't told me how old you were before I met you, I would have thought you were only three."

Suddenly Lance had a look of disdain on his face and he stopped walking.

"But…but if I don't grow, people will always treat me like a little kid," he said. He looked down and sniffed. "What about when I get older and go to college or get a job and stuff. I don't want people to make fun of me forever."

David grew concerned at Lance's downtrodden expression and put his arm around him again.

"Lance, don't worry," he said. "You'll get bigger. I'm sure you'll get taller at the very least. And for the rest of it…well…" He pulled Lance a little closer to him and squeezed his shoulder.

"Look sport, you and I know that you're a smart kid. So there are going to be a lot of times in your life where you will be the youngest person in the room," he said. "Now yes, there will be some people who will be cruel and who will make fun of you. But there will be other people, friends in particular, who may seem like they are making fun of you, but really they'll be just teasing you. Kind of like how I do. Secretly though, they'll be impressed with your gifts, just like your mother and I are."

"But I don't have any friends," Lance mumbled, frowning.

"You will," David said, aching a little at the truth behind Lance's words. "And when you do, this will all make more sense to you."

"So, what do I do about Sandy?"

"My advice? Try picking up a really annoying habit whenever she's around," David grinned mischievously.

"Like what?"

"Start reciting every line from Star Wars."

"But that's not annoying," Lance frowned.

"Oh trust me, if you do it enough times, it is," David said.

Lance opened his mouth to protest, but changed his mind and smirked at David instead.

"I don't know Dad. You seem to be forgetting all about it," he said. David smiled and guided Lance to start walking back toward home.

"Well then, you go ahead and tell me all about it as many times as you want," he said. "I'll never tire of you telling me things."

Lance looked over at him and smiled. He thought about telling him, but decided against it and walked in silence, close to David.

He just wanted to enjoy spending time with his father, walking down the road.


	21. Year Three, Learning, part 2

Author's note: Next chapter. Sorry this one is kind of short...well short for me. ;)

To my dismay, I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. Nor do I own Voltron or Star Wars ;)

Once again, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And once again an extra thank you to everyone who is checking out my other work as well.

**Cwgirlup**: Have you been reading my writing journals or perhaps even my mind? ;) Yes, there are a couple things that Lance is holding back, but I'm going to address those later....

**Mjels**: Glad to see you are still enjoying it. :D

**TimeWitch16**,** Fear Herself**: I just couldn't resist writing that chapter after seeing moments in both 'The Princess and The Pear' and 'The Finger in The Nest'. "_We all have our Stephanie Clydes'_-Sweets (FITN)

**TearXsolitude**: Thanks for the grammar compliment. I was originally an English major (even took college grammar courses) before switching to psychology. I'm sure my professors will be glad to see that my training didn't go to waste. :D

Year Three—Learning—part 2

Winter break soon came, and Carolyn received an invitation to visit a couple of her cousins across the country. She really wanted to go; it had been ten years since she had seen them, but she knew that she probably shouldn't take Lance. He had been suffering from colds and even a bout of the flu on and off for a month. They didn't need to keep him home from school at any point, but the Sweets figured that a lot of travel would not be good for him.

David and Carolyn decided that she would go while David stayed home and watched Lance. She hated to leave him, but she comforted herself with the idea that this would give Lance a chance to do 'guy stuff' with his father for a weekend.

At first Lance was sad that Carolyn was gone, but David continued to reassure him that she would be back soon, and tried his best to cheer him up. They did things like order Chinese food and watch television together. David decided to teach Lance how to play dominoes and poker. He was dismayed at how often Lance beat him at dominoes once he caught onto the rules.

However, David was particularly amused at how well he grasped the rules of poker. He realized that Lance was surprisingly good at understanding the concepts of bluffing and spotting tells. Soon, an idea was hatched in his mind.

David had been planning for a while to invite a couple of his close friends from work over for an evening of cards. One of his friends, Charlie, was caught cheating last time that they all played poker together. David glanced over at Lance and smiled. He had just come up with a unique way to extract his revenge. And he was sure Lance would enjoy being in on the joke.

* * *

On Saturday evening, David set up his card table in the family room and made some club sandwiches. He planned to make something different for Lance, but was surprised to see that Lance seemed to love his sandwiches and quickly devoured two of them.

Soon David's friends started to show up. Lance was a bit shy around them, but they knew how much Lance meant to David and tried to draw him out.

"Hey Lance," Jack smiled at him. "How are you doing, kid?" Lance smiled back and eventually said 'hello' to him and David's other two friends, Charlie and Don.

As they settled around the table with the cards, poker chips and food, David pulled up an extra chair.

"How would everyone feel about having Lance join us tonight?" he asked. Jack, Don and Charlie gave each other looks of astonishment.

"Does he really know how to play?" Don asked. David nodded with an impish look in his eye.

"Trust me, he knows how to play," he said grinning. Lance settled into his chair and glanced up once in a while to look at the others.

"I don't see why not," Charlie said, amused. "It'll be fun to have a new opponent."

"Yeah, but you can't cheat this time, Charlie," David said in a mock serious tone. Charlie held up his hands and grinned.

"Hey I had to find some way to beat you, David," he said. "You win far too much. It's not fair." David laughed a little as he pulled out the cards and shuffled them. Just before he went to deal them out, he sat them down, and ruffled Lance's hair a little.

"Ok sport, let's see what you can do," he said and then he winked at him. Lance nodded and blushed a little while David began to deal out the cards.

The first couple of hands passed by congenially and without incident. Lance seemed to be enjoying himself, although he would fidget in an odd way once in a while by tapping the table. But after about the third round, patterns started to emerge. David and Lance began to take turns at winning every other round. Also, Charlie noticed that his bluffs didn't seem to work after the first couple of hands. Either David or Lance always seemed to know when to call him on his bluff or when to fold early. Soon both David and Lance had huge piles of chips next to them.

As he watched Lance carefully stack up another column of chips that he just won after another successful round, Charlie threw down his cards in mock horror.

"All right Lance, I have to know: what's your secret?" he said. "Are you secretly some sort of card shark, making money for your old man on the side?" Lance blushed again and looked over to his father, who nodded. He then turned to Charlie with a serious expression, but David could spot the twinkle in his eye.

"I'm sorry, Charlie," Lance said. "But Dad said you needed to learn a lesson." David began to silently shake with laughter while Charlie got a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"I'm afraid Lance here has been my silent partner," David answered. "He's been signaling me when you were trying to bluff your way through a bad hand."

"That tapping on the table," Jack smirked. David nodded, still smiling.

"What?" Charlie said. "But…but how?"

"When you had a bad hand and were bluffing you tilted your head to the right," Lance answered softly. "But when you had a good hand, you rubbed your thumb with your finger." Charlie stared at him, while the others began to laugh.

"Damn Charlie, the kid figured out your tell," Don chortled.

"That's pretty clever Lance," Jack said. "You have a sharp eye." Lance continued to turn red, but a smile was on his face. David put his arm around him.

"He's good at spotting a lie," David smirked. "That's how I knew when I saw how well he was able to pick up the game, that he'd catch you Charlie."

"Ok, ok, you got me," Charlie sighed. "I won't cheat ever again." He then turned to Lance. "You should be a cop or something. Nobody would be able to lie to you, and you could get all the bad guys to confess." Lance just smiled again and shrugged his shoulders. David reached over and patted his back.

"How about one last round?" David said. "This time, it will be every man for himself."

"You got it," Jack said. Lance nodded, knowing that this time; he would be on his own.

* * *

The next hand was a grueling one. There was very little talking as each of them tried to figure out what everyone else was holding. The only sounds to be heard regularly were the sound of chips falling into the pile in the center of the table. Soon, however, everyone had folded except for two: Lance and David. The rest of them watched the two of them carefully as they had a stare down over their cards.

"Well Lance?" David asked, snapping his cards a bit with his thumb. Lance looked at his cards and kept moving them around in his hands over and over again. When he was finished, he looked up into David's eyes, his gaze intense. David had come to know that look: Lance got that look when he was using his powers of observation and concentration to their peak. Lance was not just looking at him: he was trying to get inside his head. David knew that Lance had unnerved more than one person with that look.

After a minute of silence, Lance sat his cards face down on the table and pushed all his chips into the pile in the center; his carefully stacked piles falling over.

"All in," he mumbled, picking his cards back up. There was a chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from everyone else at the table, except David, who still had a neutral expression on his face. He nodded and looked at his cards again. He then proceeded to push all of his chips into the pile as well, which elicited more murmurs of surprise.

"Call," David said. "What do you have, Lance?" Lance actually grinned as he put down each of his cards, one at a time, into a neat row on the table.

"Full house," he smirked. David nodded again sagely.

"Good hand," he said. Lance reached over to gather all the chips up, but David grabbed his arm to stop him.

"But not good enough," he said. He then laid his cards out onto the table, fanning them out for all to see.

"Royal flush," he said. Lance's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"But, but…," he sputtered. The others laughed.

"You're a good player kid," Jack said. "But you just got beat by the master." Lance continued to stare at David, who smiled at him gently.

"Sorry, sport," he said. "You're good at reading people, but there will always be someone who can read you just as well as you read them." Lance looked away for a moment, but when he looked back he had a smile on his face again.

"That's ok, Dad. I'll just beat you again when we play dominoes." David laughed and tousled his hair.

"You probably will, sport," he said. "But never underestimate your father."


	22. Year Three, Learning, part 3

Author's note: Well, this is the last part of Year Three. This chapter is longer and a little more angsty, but hopefully it will work out.

I want to give a special thank you to **TimeWitch16**. I was struggling quite a bit while revising this part. But then I saw your review, and I figured out the best way to start this chapter. It all fell into place after that. So again, thanks. I owe you one. :D

As much as I'd like to, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

And again, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It means a lot. ;)

**Cwgirlup**: I'll admit I have the most fun writing fluffy scenes between David and Lance. :) It must show in my writing. So, this chapter will be a little different...

**Cobalt6233**, **Elipeel**: I chuckle a little whenever I think about Sweets being referred to as a human lie detector. I couldn't resist writing a chapter around it. And I wanted to have some 'male bonding' time that didn't involve any angst. Glad you liked it. ;)

**TearsXsolitude, Mjels**: Again, glad that you're still enjoying it. :)

**Fear Herself**: Yeah, I smiled while I was typing the last two chapters. They were fun to write. :D Hope to see more from you soon.

Year Three—Learning—part 3

"Thank you for coming this evening, Mr. and Mrs. Sweets."

David and Carolyn nodded. They were sitting in a classroom at Lance's school in a pair of folding chairs. Across from them was a woman sitting behind a yellowish wooden desk that was littered with file folders and papers. Spring had come, and it was parent-teacher conferences time. The Sweets were meeting with Lance's new homeroom teacher for the first time. Dean Fry had informed them that Lance's former teacher, Mr. Grant, was going on sabbatical and was positive that this new teacher, Ms. Thyme, would be an admirable substitute.

"Now, your son is in our accelerated grade program, and if I may say, he is doing extremely well," Ms. Thyme said. Both of the Sweets smiled.

"Academically at least," she added.

"What do you mean?" David said. Thyme leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Mr. Sweets, your son is getting excellent grades in all of his subjects, and it's looking like he will move through grades five and six in the next school year."

"But…" David said.

"But…I am concerned with how Lance is dealing with the school environment in general," she answered.

"Is he causing trouble in school?" Carolyn asked.

"No, not so much that," Thyme said. "He minds all the rules. We haven't had to discipline him at all."

"Then what?" Carolyn said. Thyme sighed; she wasn't sure how David and Carolyn would take her next comments.

"Mrs. Sweets, are you aware that Lance barely interacts with his classmates?"

"We figured as much," David nodded. "Lance hardly ever talks about them, and he never asks to spend time with any of the children here."

"Ms. Thyme, Lance is very shy," Carolyn said. "I don't know if Dean Fry discussed this with you, but he had a very difficult early childhood."

"He wouldn't go into detail, but I got the idea," Thyme said. "And I understand that that may make it difficult to relate to others, but…it's not healthy that he avoids children his own age. Have you talked to him about it?"

"We have," David answered. "Lance is also in therapy for his issues. His psychiatrist tells us that while he is making progress, it will be a slow recovery."

"Also, his P.E instructor had a word with me," the teacher said. "Apparently Lance refuses to use the locker room or showers unless there is no one else in them." Both David and Carolyn became uncomfortable.

"Ms. Thyme…Lance…he has scars…scars from when his biological father had custody of him," Carolyn said hesitantly. "He's very uncomfortable with anyone seeing them, even us."

"Mrs. Sweets, I'm sure that while Lance may be a little self-conscious, it's not really…"

"No, you don't understand," Carolyn interrupted. "This isn't just a couple little scars that are mostly faded. These…they're deep, and they will not go away. Please try to understand that it's very painful for Lance to think about those scars and how he got them." Thyme watched the looks on the Sweets' faces and quickly understood that this was a very sensitive subject.

"All right, I'll let the instructor know that he may have to give Lance some leeway there," she said. "Now, one of the biggest things I'm concerned about is some of his recent behavior. Have you noticed any changes at home?"

"What kinds of changes?" David asked, quickly growing tense.

"Has he seemed…overly eager to be helpful?" she said. "Or perhaps a bit too controlled in how reacts to things?"

"He's been a bit subdued," David said. "But he goes through phases like that."

"No, I've noticed," Carolyn mumbled. Both David and Ms. Thyme turned to her.

"What do you mean, Carolyn?" David said. Carolyn shook her head a little.

"He's been asking to help with the chores a lot," she said. "Even ones that I know he hates to do. I hadn't thought much about it before now, but….when you mentioned that, I thought about this last weekend when I was watching him alone. Lance was playing in the front yard, and I was watching him from the front room window. One of the neighborhood kids, Tommy, came over to our yard and broke one of Lance's favorite toys."

"I thought I told his parents that Tommy was not welcome in our yard until he stopped picking on Lance," David said, anger rising in his voice. Carolyn nodded.

"I know," she said. "I saw what happened, but Tommy left before I could get out there. Lance was sitting there, looking at his toy. I could tell he was upset, but when I said something to him, he got this look on his face….He gave me this smile and told me that it was no big deal and to not worry about it." Carolyn twisted her hands in her lap a bit. "I'm sorry David. I should have told you. That look on his face…David, it was the fakest smile I had ever seen from Lance."

"I'll talk to him," David said. "And I'll talk to Tommy's parents again. They need to stop letting their boy harass Lance." Thyme nodded.

"Well I don't think there is anything else," she said. Suddenly she looked concerned. "Mr. and Mrs. Sweets, your son is an exceptional student and a well-behaved child. I don't want you to think we see him as a problem."

"No, it's all right," David said as he and Carolyn stood up. "I'm glad you are sharing your concerns with us. We know that Lance has a lot to work through; we like to know if he is having problems."

"Good, then I will see you one last time when the school year is ending to go over the plans for the next year of school," Thyme said, standing up as well. She reached out her hand to them and both David and Carolyn, and they both shook it. "It was good to meet you both."

"Likewise," David said. "I'm glad Lance is in such good hands."

* * *

Back at home, David tried more than once to get Lance to talk about what was bothering him. But he only got short, robotic answers out of him, and Lance refused to mention what was on his mind.

Carolyn noted that Lance continued to ask to help out more with the household chores. She tried asking him as well about what was going on, but he seemed even more agitated when she asked him.

"I just want to help," he told her. "You do a lot, and I should help."

Carolyn knew better than to push Lance, so she let the matter drop for the time being.

* * *

That weekend found David reading in the family room and Carolyn cleaning some things in the front room. She had a collection of old vases up on a high shelf, and she was using a stool to take each one down so she could clean them. She had just finished her third one when Lance came into the room.

"I can help," he said rushing over to her. Carolyn shook her head as she cleaned the vase in her hands.

"No, Lance, I'll get them," she said. "Some of these are really old and require careful handling. I'll do it." But Lance began to get up on the stool Carolyn was using and reached for another vase.

"It's ok Mom," he said. "I'll get it." He couldn't quite reach it, so he got on the tips of his toes. He was able to slide it toward him, but his stance was unsteady. Soon he felt himself tipping forward and tried to stop himself from falling. His hand brushed along the side of the vase, and it crashed to the floor, shattering.

"Lance!" Carolyn said. "I told you to let me get those. Now look at what happened." Lance scrambled off the stool and stood there with his head down.

"I'm sorry," he said. David came into the room.

"Is everything all right? I thought I heard a crash." Carolyn nodded as she sat her cleaning supplies down.

"It's all right, dear. Lance broke one of my vases," she said. "I asked him not to touch them, but he persisted."

"Lance, what have we said about not minding us?" David asked.

"That I shouldn't do it," he said, his head still down.

"Correct," David said.

"Lance, go to your room while I clean this up," Carolyn said. "Consider yourself grounded for the rest of the evening." Lance nodded and slowly walked away and up the stairs to his room. David walked over to her.

"Want some help?" Carolyn shook her head.

"No, I'll get it," she said. "David, what has gotten into him lately? He normally listens better than that."

"I don't know," David said. "I wish he'd tell me."

* * *

A couple hours later, Lance was still in his room and was sitting on his bed. He had spent the first few minutes alone angry and had punched his pillow a few times.

'_Stupid. Why can't I do things right? Why can't I be good?'_

Eventually he laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. After a while he was able to calm down, but he still felt bad about what he had done. He tried reading a book to distract him, but eventually gave up on that and went back to staring at the ceiling.

But now he was thirsty and really wanted to grab a drink. He slowly walked over to his bedroom door and went out into the hall.

David and Carolyn were careful in how they punished Lance. They knew how Andrew had been. So when they sent Lance to his room, they made sure he understood that if he needed to use the bathroom or was hungry or thirsty, he was not to just stay there. He would be allowed to leave as long as he went straight back when he was finished with what he needed to do until his punishment was over.

He walked by the study door and saw it was closed. Lance knew that meant that his father was busy with work. He went down the stairs quietly and headed for the kitchen, hoping that he wouldn't run into Carolyn. As he walked in though, he stopped cold.

There, lying on the floor of the kitchen was Carolyn Sweets. A broken dish was beside her. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem to be moving.

Lance ran over to her and dropped to his knees beside her. He grabbed her arm and began to shake her.

"Mom…Mom…wake up, Mom," he cried. But Carolyn remained still. His eyes filled with tears. He shook her a little more, but soon gave up. He started trembling and crying harder. He moved to lay his head on her stomach and put his arms around her.

"Please wake up, Mom," he wept. "I'm sorry I was bad. I promise to be good and to mind you." He squeezed her tighter. "Please…I'll…I won't even ask for anything for my birthday. Or Christmas. I won't ask for anything ever again….just please wake up." At Carolyn's stillness, Lance began to sob harder.

Suddenly she groaned and began to stir. Lance felt her move and lifted his head.

"Mom," he blubbered. At that moment, David walked into the room, having heard Lance's crying.

"Carolyn!" he yelled as he went over to her and knelt down beside her. She held out her hand so that David could help her sit up. She moaned again as she put a hand to her head.

"What happened?" David said. Carolyn shook her head a little, but then noticed that Lance was still clinging to her waist and was crying. She reached down to pat his head.

"Shh, shh. It's all right, baby," she said gently.

"Carolyn, please. What happened?" David asked, panicking a little.

"I was trying to clean out those top shelves in the kitchen cabinet," she said. "But I hit my head on that darn door again. Remember, I did that once before, but I must have hit it harder this time." She took her hand from her head and reached over to David's cheek.

"I'm fine. Really. I was just being clumsy again." David took her hand and shook his head.

"No, Carolyn, you're seeing a doctor," he said. "You hit your head hard enough to pass out. You should see someone. And no arguments." She sighed and nodded gingerly. She looked back down to see that Lance was still holding onto her and sniffling.

"Lance, baby, it's ok," she said, putting her arms around him. "I'm all right. Just a bump on the head is all."

"Come on, sport," David said softly, patting Lance's back. "You need to let your mother go so that we can get her looked at." Lance nodded and moved to sit up on his own, wiping hard at his eyes.

* * *

David drove all of them to the hospital. While in the waiting room, he tried to reassure Lance, but Lance remained silent. Eventually the doctor came out to see them.

"She's fine, just a very mild concussion. The worst she'll have is a bad headache for the rest of the evening. You can take her home, but, just to be safe, make sure to wake her up every couple of hours tonight."

"Thank God," David sighed, relieved. He looked over at Lance and tried to smile.

"Let's go take your mother home, sport," he said. Lance nodded his face still solemn.

He remained quiet all the way home. Once there, Carolyn asked to lie down so she could rest. David offered to order some take out, so that she wouldn't have to worry about cooking that evening. After making the order, David went to go pick it up.

"Lance, make sure to be quiet so your mother can rest while I'm gone," he told him. Lance nodded and watched David leave.

After he left, Lance went on an errand of his own.

* * *

Carolyn was lying on her bed in her room. She had only a dim night light on and had a cool washcloth over her eyes. She heard the sound of footsteps moving close to her bed.

"David?" she called out, not moving. She felt a hand touch her arm.

"Mom."

Carolyn moved the cloth and slowly sat up to see Lance standing beside her bed. He was holding out a daisy to her.

"I'm sorry Mom," he said as she took the flower from his hand.

"Why, thank you Lance," she said. "But why are you saying sorry?" Lance climbed onto the bed to sit next to her.

"I'm sorry that I was bad and didn't mind," he said. "I'm sorry that I broke your vase." Carolyn reached over to pat his head.

"I forgive you," she said. "And thank you again for the flower." She looked down at it and smiled. "It's just like the one you gave me the day I met you." Lance nodded.

"I thought you liked them," he said.

"I do," she smiled. Carolyn twirled it around in her fingers for a moment. "Lance," she said looking back over at him. "I've always wondered: why did you give me that flower? I know you didn't want me to cry, but what made you do that?" Lance leaned against her.

"I saw you playing with the other kids," he said. "You were really nice to them. Then I saw you crying in the garden. It…it just didn't seem fair that you were so kind, but you were sad. So I gave you the flower." Carolyn put her arm around him and held him close.

"That was sweet of you," she said, kissing his temple. Lance looked down at his lap, crestfallen.

"Lance, what's wrong?" she said. "You've been acting out of sorts for a while now." She could see Lance's eyes watering up. "Please talk to me," she said.

"Mom…I don't remember my birth mom," he said quietly. "I…I don't even remember what she looks like. I think my birth dad had a picture of her once, but I don't even remember that anymore. I…I didn't even know what it was like to have a mom until you and Dad…" Lance's breath hitched.

"I'm sorry, baby," she said, moving to hold his hand. Lance shook his head.

"I don't want you to go," he warbled.

"Go?" Carolyn said, confused. "Don't worry Lance, I'm not going anywhere."

"But, but…" Lance swallowed hard. "My classmate, Alice, her grandmother was just four years older than you."

"Lance, I know it's awkward for you sometimes because your father and I are older than the parents of most children your age. But that doesn't mean…"

"I don't care about that," he cried, startling Carolyn. "Alice…her grandmother just died last month. She...She said it was because her grandmother worried and tried to do too much, so she got sick and died." Lance looked up at her with teary eyes.

"I know you worry about me a lot," he said. "And you said you were sick before and that's why you couldn't have a baby. I just don't want you to worry about me and get sick again. Like Alice's grandmother."

Carolyn was saddened as she realized what Lance was saying.

'_He's scared that I'll get sick and die. That's why he's been this way: trying to get me to slow down and hiding his feelings. He's scared of losing the only mother he's ever known.'_ She couldn't deny that she was touched by Lance's concern, but she felt bad about it too. _'That's no way for a child to live,_' she thought.

She pulled him even closer to her and embraced him.

"Lance, you're not making me sick," she said. "You're making me happy. You make both your father and me happy. Now, I know you understand that eventually people pass away and that eventually it will happen to your father and me." She felt Lance snuggle closer to her and put his arms around her.

"But baby, you can't live in fear everyday of losing the people you care about," she continued. "It you do that, you'll cheat yourself out of living life and truly loving others. Your father and I…we'll always be with you. Even when we pass away, a part of us will still be with you."

"Promise?" Lance sniffled.

"I promise," she said. "We will never leave you." Carolyn closed her eyes and put her hand to her head again.

"Your head still hurts?" Lance asked. Carolyn gave a slight nod and let him go so that she could lie back down. She put the cloth back over her eyes.

"Mom, can I stay with you? I promise to be real quiet." Carolyn moved the cloth again. Her grey-blue eyes stared deep into his chocolate ones.

"Of course you can stay," she smiled. "I'd like that very much." He laid down beside her, and she put the cloth back over her eyes. She placed the daisy on the nightstand beside her. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"Lance, you didn't get this flower from Miss Kitchner's yard, did you?"

She felt Lance squirm beside her, and made a mental note to send some cookies to Kitchner's house that weekend.


	23. Year Five, Longing, part 1

Author's note: No, that's not a typo. There is no Year Four. When I originally wrote most of this out, I had never intended to cover every year for a variety of reasons. So there will be a year or two skipped here and there.

I went ahead and took my contest down since someone has already nailed it (I've already contacted the winner).

And once again, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you as always to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It's a thrill to reach over 100 reviews. When I first started this I couldn't imagine getting this many. Thanks again. :D

**Stephaniew**: Sometimes I feel like I'm writing the series bible for Sweets. ;P Glad you are enjoying.

**TearsXsolitude, TimeWitch16**: Yeah, I wanted to feature Carolyn a little more since I do focus on the bond between Lance and David so much. After all, it was Carolyn who approached him first....Lance will make friends eventually...;)

**Cwgirlup, Cobalt6233**: This was something I thought a lot about too while growing up. Now that I'm older I wanted to take the parent's perspective. Glad you liked it. :D

**Fear Herself**: Once again you focused on the scene that was the most difficult for me to write. :D But it was also most rewarding scene for me. ;) Thanks as always for the reviews.

Whew, what a long Author's Note...Onward then...And good luck!

Year Five—Longing—part 1

"And how is school now?" Murray said watching Lance, who was sitting across from him on the couch in his office. Lance turned from the window to shrug at him. At ten years old, he was still slim and shorter than most of his classmates. His dark, brown hair had become even wavier and was only controlled by the short haircuts that his parents got for him. Dressed in a Star Wars tee-shirt and jeans, he still looked about seven years old.

"Fine," Lance responded. "Mom, Dad, and I met with Dean Fry last week. He says that I'll be moving to seventh grade soon and that I'll be graduating when I'm fourteen."

"Does that worry you? The pressures of going through a thirteen year school system in only eight or nine years?" Lance shrugged his shoulders again.

"It's ok," he said, plopping backwards against the seat cushions. "I like learning stuff. I think Mom and Dad worry that I'll get overwhelmed, but…it's ok."

"Well it sounds like you're doing well academically," the psychiatrist nodded. "But what about otherwise? Join any clubs, sports? Make any new friends?"

"I like to run. Maybe I'll join track later," Lance answered. "School stuff kind of keeps me busy though." He looked down at the floor. "Danny moved away, so I just hang around with Matt now."Murray nodded again. He was glad that Lance was finally starting to make friends, but sometimes he wished that Lance would associate with more than just one or two kids all the time.

Still it was yet another sign of the progress Lance had made. In the last year, it was decided that he could cut down from weekly sessions to bi-weekly sessions. Lance had stopped having flashbacks and nightmares, but he still suffered from occasional panic attacks when in stressful situations, social awkwardness, and frequent depression.

The depression was what worried Murray the most. Lance had always expressed some sadness over his difficult early years, but starting around his ninth birthday, he started having bouts of melancholy. During these times he would mope around his room and stare out the window. He wouldn't speak much and would spend inordinate amounts of time sleeping. One of the most serious rounds of it led to a week where Lance was only eating about one meal a day and was spending most of his time in bed. At that point, Murray began to consider medication, but after that incident, Lance seemed to recover some. He didn't have another period like that, but Murray also knew that Lance was trying to hide his depression.

"Lance, you seem a bit tired. Are you getting enough sleep?" the psychiatrist asked. Lance smiled ruefully.

"Now you sound like Dad," he said. "And like him, you don't think I'm tired: you think I'm depressed again." Murray shook his head; he had ceased to be shocked by Lance's ability to read him.

"Your dad is a perceptive person, and he worries about you," Murray said. "But I would like to know too: are you depressed again?" Lance turned away from him and remained silent for a couple of minutes before sighing.

"It…it doesn't," Lance mumbled, tripping over his words. Finally, he slumped his shoulders, defeated.

"I'm never going to get better," he whispered, hanging his head. "I keep thinking I will but…it still hurts." He turned back toward Murray, his eyes wet. He began to angrily swipe at them.

"It's stupid. I mean, why should I keep crying?" he said, tears seeping into his voice. "I have a good home. I go to a good school. Everyone says I'm some kind of prodigy. Mom and Dad love me and give me everything I want or need. So why do I hurt so much?"

"Do you talk to your parents about this?" Murray asked. Lance shook his head.

"No…Mom and Dad…they've done so much for me," he said, his head down. "They don't need me telling them that despite everything they do, I still hurt."

"Lance, they love you deeply," the psychiatrist said gently. "Trust me; they would want to know if you are hurting so they could help you."

"Dad knows," Lance swallowed. "He doesn't say it, but I can tell by the way he looks at me and by how he hugs me tight sometimes. Like he's worried that I'll disappear somehow."

"He's waiting for you to open up and talk to him," Murray encouraged him. "And you should talk to him. David is a caring and understanding person. I'm sure he could help you feel better."

"But I...I don't deserve..," Lance sputtered, still blinking back tears.

"You're not a burden to them, Lance," Murray said. Lance looked away and sniffed again. "I've spoken with them many times throughout the years that I've been treating you and whether you realize it or not, you have given them a great deal. I can tell you that they are enjoying some of their most rewarding years in the process of raising you." Murray leaned toward him as Lance looked him in the eye again.

"They love you, and you need to start believing that you are worthy of their love," the psychiatrist said. Lance sniffed again and rubbed his eyes, but Murray could see that he was processing his advice.

"Now, our time is about up," he said, writing a couple of things down in his notebook. "I want you to think about what I just said, and I want you to try talking to your father about how your feeling." Murray got to his feet as did Lance.

"The next time I see you I want to know how that talk went." The two of them shook hands and walked to the door. Lance opened it to see Carolyn waiting outside. Upon hearing him, she looked up and smiled at him.

"Hello, baby," she said getting up to meet him. At the sight of his red-rimmed eyes, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"It's ok Mom," he assured her. "I'm fine." Carolyn put her hand on Lance's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"All right then," she said. "Let's go home so I can start dinner. We're having your favorite tonight: Chinese." Lance gave her a half-hearted smile, and the two of them left the office. As he watched them leave, Murray shook his head again.

'_The deep love David and Carolyn have for Lance is far from one-sided.'_

_

* * *

_Lance stared out the window in the car on the way home, tapping his fingers against the door.

"Where's Dad?" he asked.

"Your father is working late again, but he should be home in time for dinner," Carolyn answered. Lance nodded and sighed.

The first year and a half that Lance lived with the Sweets, David had taken a sabbatical from the office to help with the adjustment of Lance moving in with them. Even when he did work, it would only be for a few hours while Lance was in school.

But in the past year, David had moved back to working full-time. Recently, he even got a promotion. The new position meant that David had to put in extra hours while the company went through a transition of late. David relished the challenges and responsibilities his new position gave him, and he knew it would lead to even greater financial security when he finally decided to retire.

Carolyn adjusted to it. There had been other years like this in their marriage, and it was always a temporary situation. She knew David would make it up to them as soon as things calmed down enough for him to delegate more. She still had her friends and clubs that she joined. Plus, now she had Lance to take care of.

However, Lance secretly hated the new arrangement. School kept him busy, and he did make friends with the boy who had recently moved next door. But he missed David. Carolyn also wasn't around as much as she used to be due to her hobbies, but she wasn't nearly as absent as his father was right now. He mainly saw his father at meals, back and forth from therapy sessions and maybe for an hour after dinner sometimes.

Carolyn tried to get Lance involved in after school activities, but he only seemed to enjoy the chess club that he met with once a week. That still left him with a lot of lonely hours.

Lance tried his best to not let his unhappiness about the current state of affairs show. He knew how badly he had scared his parents that time he spent a week in bed, so he tried his best to hide it now. So they wouldn't worry.

Once they got home, Lance went to watch some TV while Carolyn began making dinner. After an hour, he got bored and went outside to see what Matt was doing.

Matt Harnson was the neighbor's boy and was a year younger than Lance. He went to the same school as him and while many people thought he was kind of weird, Lance got along with him really well. Walking toward the Harnson's house, Lance could see that Matt was in the front yard. Upon hearing him coming, Matt looked up and smiled.

"Hi Lance," he grinned. "Look at what my dad got me: the new Ninja Turtles Party Wagon." He held it up to Lance, and Lance's eyes grew wide as he walked over to look at it.

"Cool," Lance breathed. He immediately reached for it. "Can I see it?"

"Sure," Matt beamed, handing it over to him. Lance took it and looked it over and over again in his hands.

"This is awesome. I want one of these," Lance said, gazing fondly at the toy in his hands.

What Lance didn't hear was that David had gotten home and was walking up the Harnson's yard. David had stopped a little bit away from Lance and Matt and was watching the scene in front of him, chuckling a bit.

'_He seems to really like that toy,'_ he thought to himself. _'Nice to see that he's still a kid under all that intellect.' _

David tried hard to make sure not to spoil Lance, but sometimes he couldn't resist the urge to get him spontaneous gifts. To his credit, Lance rarely begged his parents for any toy except when Christmas or his birthday was close by. On those rare occasions that he did ask for something, David would get it for him eventually. Usually he would attach some sort of condition for Lance to fulfill like telling him that he had to get an 'A' on a certain test or that he had to do an extra chore for a while.

Although to be honest, he partially wanted to get that toy for Lance so that he could see a real smile from his son for once.

David sighed; as much as he enjoyed his new job, he hated spending so much time away from his family. When he was home, Lance's depression had not escaped him.

One time he tried talking to Murray about it.

'_I'm worried about him. I mean I thought he was doing better, but now this.'_

'_David, he is making progress. Slow but sure. But you must understand that Lance went through an extreme level of abuse. This is something that is difficult to fix. To be honest, most children probably wouldn't recover this much.'_

'_I know. I know Lance is a strong kid to handle it as much as he does. I sometimes wonder how he does it.'_

'_It's partially a testament to how the two of you are taking care of him. You're doing a wonderful job.'_

'_But Doctor, I just want him to stop hurting so he can have a normal childhood.'_

'_David, you need to be realistic: that is not going to happen. Lance will never have a typical childhood.'_

'_But doctor…'_

'_David, Lance was nearly murdered by his biological father. He was adopted by people who are old enough to be his grandparents. He now has an IQ of 148 and will probably go to college at fourteen. There is nothing "typical" about any of that.'_

'_God….what can I do?'_

'_Just because Lance will not have a typical childhood, it does not mean he has to have an unhappy one. You just need to understand that he is experiencing things that most people wouldn't even think of. Besides that, you should know that he is trying very hard to not let his past defeat him. The best thing you and Carolyn can do to help is to continue to love and support him and to let him know that you'll be there if he needs help.'_

'_Isn't there anything else I can do?'_

'_I'm afraid not. Ultimately, it will be up to Lance to find a way to deal with his past. The only other thing I can suggest is that you make yourself available as much as possible to talk to him. I know that talking with you gives him the insight and guidance that he needs to work things out within him. You need to be his confidant: honest, open, loving and non-judgmental.'_

As David watched Lance continued to admire Matt's toy, he sighed again. He wanted to be his son's confidant, but Lance seemed determined to try to fool him into thinking that nothing was wrong. Even though David was pretty sure that neither of them believed that Lance was fooling anyone.

David started to walk closer and clear his throat which got the attention of both boys.

"Hello Mr. Sweets," Matt smiled.

"Dad…what are you doing here? Lance said his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's nice to see you too, Lance," David said with a slightly irritated tone. "Matt, how are your parents?"

"They're good. Mom said to thank Mrs. Sweets for the cookies."

"Well you tell her that she is very welcome," David smiled. The Sweets had quickly learned to like the Harnsons, despite the fact that they were rather straight-laced and were a bit puzzled by the fact that David and Carolyn had a child as young as Lance. David didn't hold that against them though; he was used to most people being surprised when meeting his son for the first time. And their son had been quite friendly to Lance from the start. Both David and Carolyn were always grateful when Lance was able to make any friends.

"Dad, look at what Matt's dad got him: a real Ninja Turtles Party Wagon," Lance said, holding it up.

"I see that," David said, grinning.

"Dad, can I have one so we can both play with them? Please?"

"Well, I don't know…your birthday just came and went, and Christmas is pretty far away," David mused.

"Please Dad," Lance begged. "I can't wait that long." David smiled and ruffled Lance's hair.

"We'll see," he said. "Now come on, your mother probably has dinner ready by now." Lance nodded and handed the toy back to Matt.

"Don't worry Lance," Matt said. "I'll let you play with it whenever you want. See you later." Lance nodded again, and he couldn't completely hide the forlorn look on his face as he watched Matt walk away. He then turned to David and hung his head a little.

"I'm sorry Dad…about earlier," Lance mumbled. "I didn't mean…I'm glad you're home." David put his arm around him.

"Don't worry about it sport," he said, guiding Lance into their house. "Why don't you make it up to me by telling me what's been on your mind lately?" Lance stiffened for a moment, but then looked up at David with a plastic smile on his face.

"It's nothing Dad," he said. "Just been busy with school is all." David nodded and let the matter drop since they were almost in the dining room by that point. However, he couldn't stop himself from grinding his teeth a little; he had become greatly annoyed by his son's fake smiles.

But more than that, he hated it when Lance lied to him.


	24. Year Five, Longing, part 2

Author's Note: Well here's the next part. Judging from the reviews I got for the last chapter, I think a lot of you know where I'm going next...;)

As previously stated, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

And as always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Stephaniew**: Good guess! You picked my favorite line from that scene. :D

**TimeWitch16**: Thanks for your comments. ;) I'm looking forward to eventually catching up on your story. And as for Lance having woman troubles...you'll just have to wait and see...

**Ladykale1985**: Even though this is angst, I'll agree that Lance's cuteness keeps this from being too dark. :)

**Foolkiller**: Glad you joined in. :D Hope you enjoy future chapters.

**Cobalt6233**: Yeah, Sweets' expression after Angela tells him that is priceless. You can actually see him running through his memories and seeing them in a different light as a result. Thanks for the review. ;)

**Fear Herself**: Why do you think that? ;).... Anyway, hope you can update soon.

Year Five—Longing—part 2

Dinner was a pleasant affair on the surface. The conversation revolved around David's work, Carolyn's friends, and Lance's schoolwork. David watched his son carefully during the meal. _'He's putting up a good front for our benefit,'_ he thought to himself. _'But you're not fooling me, sport.'_ He could see the flickers of something in Lance's eyes: sadness and self loathing. David's heart felt tight as he saw that.

After dinner, Carolyn left to read and David pulled Lance aside into the family room. He sat on the couch with him and put his hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Lance, if you need to talk, about anything, you know that you can come to me, right?" he said.

"I'm fine, Dad," Lance said with an artificial cheeriness. David took a deep breath and tried again.

"Look sport, I know that I haven't spent much time with you lately, and I know that you haven't enjoyed that." Lance looked away, but remained silent.

"You have to understand that my job has changed recently, and I'm going to be busy for a while," David continued. "But it's not going to be that way forever. As soon as things settle down at work, I'm going to make it up to you and your mother." He moved closer and put his arm around Lance, who looked back toward him.

"But if there is something that is bothering you, don't feel you have to wait until I have lots of extra time to talk to me," he said. "I will make the time for you. All you have to do is ask." Lance sighed and chewed on his lip a bit.

"I…I don't…it's…" Lance gave up and shrugged his shoulders.

"Lance, just talk to me," David said, frustrated. "Tell me what's wrong. I know something has you upset, and I want to help." He pulled Lance close to him. "Don't hold it all in if you're hurting."

Lance felt his eyes swimming with tears. He took a couple of deep breaths and willed himself to not cry. He then jumped to his feet and turned away from David.

'_Stupid, stupid…why can't I stop crying?'_ Lance thought angrily. _'Why can't I stop hurting?_

'_Why does Dad keep trying?'_

'_Can't you see that I'm not worth it, Dad?'_

He finally turned back to David. David almost flinched at the dark look in his son's eyes.

"No," he said. "All you care about is work. That's all you ever do anymore. And Mom, all she cares about his her friends and her clubs. The only reason you care about me is because I keep getting good grades, and impressing all your friends." Lance put a sneer on his face.

"I'm just another hobby for you," he spat. "That's why you won't listen to me. I don't need or want to talk to you." David rose to his feet.

"Lance, you will not take that tone with me," he said his voice edged with anger. "Go to your room and do your homework. Stay there for the rest of the night so that you can think about what you just said. In the morning, I will expect an apology, and you can expect to be grounded." Lance narrowed his eyes at him, mirroring his father's angry tone.

"Go now," David said. Lance promptly turned on his heal and walked out of the room. Soon, David could hear his door slam, and he slumped his shoulders.

'_I just want to help you, Lance. Why won't you let me in?'_

_

* * *

_Upstairs in his room, Lance had thrown himself onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. He couldn't stop the tears this time.

'_I hurt my dad. He was just trying to help me, and I hurt him.'_

He began to cry harder, and he pushed his face further into his pillow, trying to muffle his tears the best he could. He wished that he could go down and apologize and take it all back. But he felt there was no way his father would want to hear anything that he had to say.

* * *

Carolyn came downstairs from her room. She had heard the angry voices a little while ago, and she decided to see what had happened. She found David sitting at the dining room table with some papers from work spread out in front of him. But he wasn't looking at any of it; he had his face in his hands. Carolyn sat down beside him, and he looked up.

"David, what's wrong?" she asked, reaching for his arm. "Is it Lance?" David took her hand and held it tight.

"Carolyn…I just can't figure out why I can't get through to him," he said. "I know he's in some kind of pain, but I can't get him to talk."

"You can't force him to talk," she said, squeezing his hand. "There's only so much you can do if he pulls away." She moved her chair closer to him so that she could lean against him.

"He's been pulling away from me too a little here recently," she said. "But David, I don't think he's shutting you out because he's upset with you. I think he's trying to spare us somehow. Spare us from the pain he's feeling."

"I know that's what he's trying to do," David said, frustrated. "But it's just hurting him more." Carolyn laid her head on David's arm.

"You always get through to him in the end," she said gently. "At some point, I know that you'll find just the thing to say, and he will open up to you. Then we'll be there, and we'll help him through this. Like we always do." David moved his head to kiss her.

"I love you," he murmured. "I couldn't do this without an amazing woman like you." Carolyn smiled and returned the kiss.

"And I love you," she said. "You're a wonderful husband and father. Remember that." She leaned back in her chair. "Is Lance being punished for something he did right now?"

"Yes," David nodded. "And I will be grounding him in the morning too." She nodded and got to her feet.

"All right. I'll wait until it's time for him to go to bed to talk to him," she said. "I'm going to read some more in the bedroom."

"I have some things to finish here," he said. "I'll be up later to tuck him in."

* * *

Meanwhile, Lance had finally begun to calm down. He stared at the ceiling while trying to sort out his mind. His thoughts kept drifting back to what he said to David.

'_I could have had that talk with Dad, like Doctor Murray wanted,'_ he thought. _'But instead I was a brat. Why do I keep doing things like that?_'

He sat up, bored, and looked over at a display of some of his action figures that he had on one of his bookshelves. He thought about Matt's new Turtle Party Wagon again. He heaved a huge sigh at the thought that there was no way now that his father would ever buy one for him now.

'_Matt isn't even that big of a fan of the show. He just asked for one 'cause I have a set of the figures too, and he likes to play that with me.'_ Lance got up and began to re-position his Ninja Turtles into battle ready positions. He knew that there was a good chance that he would be grounded all weekend, and that he would probably spending a good deal of that time in his room. That meant no chance to play with that Party Wagon.

But then a new thought occurred to him.

'_Matt did say that I could play with it whenever I want. He has so many toys; he probably wouldn't miss it if I borrowed it this weekend.' _

Soon, all he could think about was how nice it would be to have that toy so he could distract himself from his problems for a while.

'_There's a tree right by Matt's bedroom window. It wouldn't be that hard to climb it. And Matt sleeps through everything, and he does leave his window open at night,' _he thought. He then reflected on how Matt had fallen asleep while watching movies at Lance's house, and it took Lance forever to wake him up.

Lance soon formulated what he believed to be the perfect plan.

* * *

An hour later, Lance snuck quietly out of his room. He could see the light on in his parents' room and knew that Carolyn was in there reading. He knew that in another hour she would be going to his room with David to tuck him in for the night.

Lance was a little embarrassed to admit it, but he was glad that his parents still did things like that for him. Even while being punished, they always took the time to wish him good night and to tell him that they loved him.

He crept down the stairs, trying hard to not make a sound. His hands trembled a bit on the guardrail of the stairs. Lance had never so openly defied one of David's punishments before. While he knew it was ok for him to leave his room to use the bathroom or go to the kitchen, he knew that he was certainly not allowed to sneak out of the house like this while grounded.

'_Matt's in bed by now. I could borrow that Party Wagon and give it back to him on Monday. He won't mind.'_

Lance couldn't see his father, but as he slowly walked along, he could hear the rustle of papers in the dining room. Lance knew that meant he would have to go out the front door, instead of the side door through the kitchen. A calculated risk. He just hoped that his father was so busy with work that he wouldn't notice it while he was gone.

Swiftly and silently, he made his way to the front door, and slipped on his shoes. He carefully unlocked the door and gingerly opened it to go outside. He was just as careful while closing it once he was out.

Braced a bit by the cool night air and the continued fear that he would get caught, Lance shivered as he walked over to Matt's yard. He went over to the tree and looked up. He gulped when he realized that he would have to climb pretty far up to reach the window.

He shook his head and sighed: he had come too far to not go through with it now.

Lance jumped up and reached for the lowest branch. He then began to climb. He had started climbing trees while he was at the orphanage and continued to do it at some of the foster homes he had stayed at. It was a good way to get away from people, especially other children. It had been a while, but Lance had become pretty skilled by the time the Sweets met him. He was able to scale upwards rather quickly.

As he reached the level where Matt's window was at, the climb became harder. The tree seemed a bit slimy and soft in parts, but it was still manageable. He saw that he would have to climb pretty far out onto one of the branches to reach the window. That made Lance nervous, but he was relieved to see that the branch he would have to use was one of the thickest ones on the tree, and it was dry to the touch. He figured that it could easily hold his weight.

He began to slowly climb across. About halfway there, he heard a cracking sound coming from the branch he was on. He tried to move faster toward the window.

But he couldn't move fast enough. The branch snapped under his weight. Lance screamed as he felt himself falling. He hit his arm against one of the branches on the way down. He started to cry out in pain, but he hit the ground instead.

Then Lance's world went black.


	25. Year Five, Longing, part 3

Author's Note: Onward and upward to the next part...

Of course, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

As usual, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. Always enjoyed and always appreciated.

**Stephaniew**: I think talking about himself is difficult for Sweets, and, at this point in his life, learning is just as hard. ;)

**Cwgirlup**: Um...quit reading my mind. ;D Without spoiling things too much, I have two words for you: Year Seven. Enough said. ;)

**Fear Herself**: Just goes to show, like David said earlier in this section: Sweets is still a kid under all that intellect. Kids sometimes just don't think things through. ;) Good to hear that you are working on your story.

**TimeWitch16**: Interesting point. When I was planning this in my mind, I thought about the direction I wanted to go in relation to what I saw in Sweets' personality. Despite a probable high level of abuse, he has several admirable qualities: empathy, intelligence, loyalty, high levels of affection, and a strong desire to help others. To me that spoke of a childhood that had a lot of love, reassurance, and intervention. However, despite all that, Sweets still seems to have some noticeable neurosis: clinginess, low self-esteem, use of manipulation, and jealousy (and not just with Daisy, check out that scene between him and Wyatt in the diner during Dwarf in the Dirt). That seems to indicate that there was a lot of setbacks in his recovery, and that his parents were not able to erase all of his issues. Thus, the up-and-down quality to his childhood. So when setting this up, I actually used the classic "stages of grief" model to plot things along: 1. Denial/Shock (Year One, Year Two) 2. Guilt/Questioning/Bargaining (Year Three, Year Five, Year Six) and so on....Granted I went a little out of order...;) Well hopefully that clears things up. Glad you are still enjoying, and I hope to get a few more chapters read today on your story. :)

Wow, another long Author's Note....onward then....

Year Five—Longing—part 3

At the dining room table, David's head shot up, and he rose to his feet from the table. He walked slowly toward the front door. _'That sounded like a scream outside,'_ he thought.

"What was that David?" Carolyn called from the top of the stars.

"Don't know," he said. "I'm going outside to find out if anyone needs help." He grabbed his wallet and keys and put on his shoes. He opened the door and stepped outside. For a moment, he looked back at the door, confused. _'Didn't I lock the door?'_

He looked over to see Troy and Mary Harnson running over to the side of their yard. They stopped and looked down at one point, both of them gasping. Troy then turned to his wife.

"Mary, go back inside and call 911," he said. "And grab a flashlight." She nodded and quickly ran back inside the house. David sped up his pace over toward them.

"Troy, what's happening?" he said. "Is someone hurt?" David had reached the Harnson's yard and started to make his way over to him. Troy was startled by David's presence, but his expression quickly became a mix of fear and sadness.

"David…I…I'm so sorry," Troy stammered.

"What are you…?" David started, but stopped once he looked down.

There on the ground was Lance. His right arm was at an unnatural angle, and a large tree branch was tangled onto his legs. He was silent and unmoving. David's heart went to his throat.

"Lance!" he yelled. He ran over to his side; his hands trembling as he looked down at him. "Get…get this off him," David said, motioning at the branch. Troy nodded and the two of them carefully eased the branch away from Lance. They heaved it to the side, and David dropped down to the ground next to Lance.

"Lance…Lance…can you hear me, sport?" he asked. He reached over to touch his son's face, but jerked his hand away when he felt something wet. He looked down and discovered that it was blood.

At the sight of his son's blood on his hand, David Sweets lost all of his calm and control.

"Lance…Lance," he cried, shaking Lance's shoulder a bit. "Speak to me… Open your eyes…Lance." David felt tears fill his eyes, and he knew that there was very little he could do to stop them from coming out.

Mary Harnson came back out, clutching a flashlight.

"The ambulance will be here any minute," she said, handing the flashlight to Troy. "Is he all right?"

Troy turned on the flashlight and knelt down beside David and Lance. He shined the light onto Lance's prone body.

"He's out cold," Troy said as he moved the light to Lance's face. "Must have gotten the wind knocked out of him." In the faint light, Lance's face was almost white in contrast to the scarlet gash visible near his temple.

David stopped calling his son's name and began to use his fingers to very gently probe Lance's skull. Soon he found a large lump forming on the side of his head. He then lightly brushed a lock of hair away from Lance's forehead.

"You're going to be ok, sport," David choked. "I'm right here."

"David, look at his arm," Troy said, moving his flashlight. David shifted his eyes to see that blood was starting to soak Lance's sleeve, and that toward the center of the stain was a bit of white poking out.

"David, what's going on?"

David, Troy and Mary looked up to see Carolyn walking toward them.

"I heard you yelling," she said as she got closer. "What is…?" Upon seeing Lance on the ground, the flashlight shining on his head, she became silent. She then ran over and dropped to her knees beside David.

"No…not my baby," she wept. "Please God… not my baby." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. David quickly realized what she was thinking and forced her to look up at him.

"He's alive, Carolyn," he said, his voice still rough with his own tears. "He's hurt, but he's alive." Carolyn shook her head.

"No…he's not moving," she said. "And he's bleeding…" David grabbed her hand and placed it on Lance's chest.

"Feel that?" he said, insistent. "Feel him breathing? He's going to be all right." After a moment, Carolyn could feel the slight movement under her hand as Lance breathed. She took a deep breath. Her tears didn't stop, but they did lose their hysteria.

"Thank God," she whispered. She then began to stroke Lance's cheek. "David, he's so still…what happened to him?"

"Near as we can tell, he was climbing our tree and the branch he was on broke, and he fell to the ground," Troy said. "Probably hit some of the other branches on the way down."

"What? He was in a tree?" Carolyn asked, confused. "What was he doing in a tree?" David took her shoulders and turned her toward him.

"Carolyn, go back to the house," he said firmly. "Grab your purse and lock the house up. The ambulance will be here any time, and we are going with Lance to the hospital." Carolyn was still weeping and she kept looking over at her son.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with him," David told her. "Now go. Hurry." Carolyn got to her feet and stumbled back toward the house. As she left, the sound of sirens filled the street. Troy got up and waved the ambulance over to his yard. It stopped and a pair of EMTs ran over with a kit and a stretcher. Troy and Mary moved off to the side while they sat down on the ground next to David.

"What happened to him?" one of the men asked David.

"He…he fell out of that tree…we think…I wasn't here," David sniffed, still trying to regain control. The other man began to examine Lance.

"Morgan, he's completely unconscious," the second man said. "Probably a concussion." The man identified as Morgan nodded.

"Sir, are you family?" Morgan asked.

"I'm his father," David said. He watched as the second EMT began to secure Lance's neck with a brace.

"Aaron, let's get a splint on that arm," Morgan said. The second man nodded. "What's his name, sir?"

"Lance…Lance Sweets," David said his voice thick with unshed tears. He turned his head to see Carolyn running back toward them.

"Ma'am," Aaron said, holding up his hand to stop her.

"I'm his mother," Carolyn said, resuming her place beside David. "I'm not leaving him."

"S'okay, Aaron," Morgan said and turned to the Sweets. "Just give us room, ma'am." Morgan dug out a pen-like flashlight and carefully peeled back Lance's eyelid, shining the light into it. He repeated the gesture with Lance's other eye and then looked up.

"Definitely a concussion," he said. "We need to get him to a hospital." Both the Sweets nodded.

"We want to come with you," David said. "We want to stay with our son."

"That's fine," Morgan nodded. Aaron finished putting the splint on Lance's arm, and he and Morgan put Lance onto the stretcher. They were careful not to jostle him. After strapping him down, they carried him toward the ambulance with the Sweets walking close behind. After loading Lance in, Aaron went to the front to drive, while Morgan helped David and Carolyn in and then shut the doors. The ambulance then sped away.

Inside, Morgan continued to treat Lance.

"David," Carolyn said, beginning to cry again. David held her close.

"He's going to be fine," he murmured. Although at that moment, watching Lance's still form, he had a hard time believing that.

* * *

Once they arrived at the hospital, the EMTs whisked Lance away, and the Sweets were faced with a flurry of forms and questions. David left to call Doctor Colinablanca so she could fill in Lance's medical history to the staff here. In particular, about the still visable scars on his back. David then returned to help Carolyn fill out the forms.

Unfortunately, the Sweets had become experts in detailing information about their son. They were able to fill out everything within minutes, and now were just left with the waiting. That was always the hardest part for David and Carolyn. They hardly could be called pessimistic, but creeping in the back of their minds was always the idea of how easily Lance could be taken away from them. It was a side effect from knowing how close he had been to death when he was taken away from Andrew. In times like this, the fear found a way to move to the forefront of their minds. Neither of them said it out loud, but both of them knew that they shared it.

David and Carolyn held each other in the waiting room. It was silent since the room was empty, save for the two of them.

"David, why was Lance in that tree?" Carolyn said, finally breaking the silence. "What was he doing?"

"I don't know," David sighed, shaking his head. "He was supposed to be in his room. I didn't even see him sneak out."

"I don't know what he's thinking anymore," she sniffed. "I mean, I don't even know what I'll do when he wakes up."

"I know," David said, rubbing her arm. "Part of me wants to yell at him and ground him for life. But another part of me knows that when I see him open his eyes, I'll just want to hold him and tell him how much I love him."

"He hit his head," Carolyn said. "You…you don't think that there will…that there will be…" She couldn't say it, but David knew what she was thinking: brain damage. The idea that their playful, brilliant child could have his vast gifts taken away from him. He put his hand on Carolyn's cheek.

"Don't think about that now," he soothed. "Let's wait until he wakes up."

"But David…" David put his fingers on Carolyn's lips to stop her.

"It won't do him any good for us to worry about things like that right now," he said. "So let's wait to cross that bridge _if _we come to it." He pulled her into another tight embrace.

"No matter what happens, he's our son, and we will take care of him. Together." Carolyn nodded and rested against David.

* * *

They continued to sit quietly for a while until a doctor came in, holding a file.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets," she said. "I'm Doctor Versalle." David and Carolyn got up and walked over to her.

"How is he?" David asked, still holding his wife close to him.

"As good as can be expected," Versalle nodded. "Lance has a compound fracture to his right arm. He will have to wear a cast for several weeks."

"What about his head?" Carolyn swallowed.

"Well we did need to give him a few stitches for that cut near his temple. Fortunately, it wasn't very deep," the doctor said. "He does have a moderate concussion that we are somewhat concerned about."

"What do you mean?" David asked, growing nervous.

"Well we were able to bring him around, but we're not sure of how aware he is of his surroundings," she said. "He opened his eyes, but when we tried to get him to talk, he wouldn't speak and seemed frightened. I was hoping…Well I was going over what Doctor Colinablanca told us, and I was wondering if you two could shed some light on this."

"Lance doesn't always like being around strangers," David explained. "He's gotten better about that in the last couple years, but he still gets a little anxious at times."

"I see," Versalle nodded. "And this concussion could be making him disoriented. That would make the pain of his injuries and the lack of familiar faces rather scary for him. Well, we need to be able to assess his level of awareness, so I'll need you two to try to get him to talk."

"Actually, we were hoping you'd let us see him," David said. The doctor smiled back at them.

"Of course, follow me."

They walked down a couple of corridors and stopped at Lance's room. A nurse met them at the entrance.

"Doctor, he won't let me touch him," the nurse said, exasperated. "I keep trying to check the bandage on his head, but he won't let me near him."

"It's all right. I have his parents here," Versalle said. "Let's see if we can try again in a few minutes." Versalle and the Sweets walked into the room followed by the nurse.

Lance was lying in bed. His head was wrapped with a large, white bandage which made his hair stick up a little. A patch of red had formed on the side. His right arm was in a sling and bent at a right angle. On it was a dark blue cast. David couldn't get over how small Lance looked. Unfortunately, he could also see how scared his son was.

David and Carolyn walked over to him, and David leaned in close.

"Lance, it's Dad," he said. "Can you hear me?" Lance turned his eyes toward him, blinking rapidly. "It's ok, calm down," David soothed, reaching over to clasp Lance's shoulder. "I'm here."

"Dad?" he said in a very small voice. David smiled at him.

"It's me, sport. It's Dad." David thought he was going to start crying then and there. Lance looked over David's shoulder.

"Mom?" he said in the same questioning tone. Carolyn smiled and moved closer to him.

"I'm here, baby," she whispered. "It's all right." Lance winced.

"Head hurts," he said weakly. He tried to shift in bed, but was hampered by the cast. "My arm…"

"Lance, you're in the hospital," David explained. "You fell out of a tree, and now the doctor needs you to answer her questions so she can see if you're all right. Ok?" David continued to rub Lance's shoulder and was relieved to see the fear dissipating from his face.

"Are you and Mom staying?" Lance asked, his eyes begging.

"Of course we are," David said, pulling up a chair to sit beside him. Carolyn moved to the other side the bed and pulled a chair over to sit there. The doctor walked over to the bed.

"Hello Lance. I'm Doctor Versalle," she said. "First of all I need to ask how you are feeling."

"Hurt…"Lance said rolling his eyes around the room. "My arm hurts and my head…can't think…"

"Can you tell me your name? Your full name?"

"Lance David Sweets," he answered, rubbing his eyes.

"How old are you?"

"I'm ten." Lance looked over at David, who smiled at him.

"You're doing just fine, sport."

"Do you know who he is?" Versalle asked, pointing at David.

"He's my dad, David Stephen Sweets."

"And her?" Versalle pointed to the other side of the bed.

"My mom, Carolyn Michelle Sweets."

"He seems coherent," Versalle nodded. "Of course we will have to do additional tests to check for any brain damage." David noticed that Carolyn's eyes were tearing up again. He nudged Lance's shoulder, making him turn toward him.

"Hey Lance, explain to Doctor Versalle Freud's theory of the psyche," he said. Lance furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why?" he asked.

"Just do it," David sighed.

"Mr. Sweets, don't you think that question is a little beyond…?"

"Freud believed that the psyche existed in three parts," Lance said. "The id, which is your base wants, the superego, which is sort of like your conscience, and the ego, which balances the two." Versalle and the nurse goggled at him.

"What the…?" the nurse started.

"Good job, sport," David said after seeing Carolyn's relieved expression. He then looked over at Versalle. "I think his brain is working just fine."

"Well that's…very good Lance," the doctor said. She walked over and tried to get a closer look at the bandage on Lance's head, but he flinched away from her.

"Lance, baby, let her check your head," Carolyn said. Lance gave a slight nod, and the doctor was able to look closer at the bandage, running her fingers along the edges. Lance then moaned, and Versalle noticed that he had developed a rather greenish look.

"Lance, are you all right?" Carolyn asked. The doctor reached down on the floor for a bedpan.

"I…I'm going to…"

Fortunately the doctor had the bedpan already sitting in Lance's lap while he vomited. When he was done, he lay back against his pillows.

"Feel better now?" Versalle asked while handing the bedpan off to the nurse, who left the room with it.

"It hurts," Lance mumbled. "I want to go home."

"I'll get you something for the pain," Versalle said, heading for the door. "You go ahead and get some rest." David and Carolyn got up and began to follow the doctor.

"Don't go," Lance whined.

"It's all right," Carolyn said. "We'll be right back."

"Please stay," he pleaded. "I…Please…"

Carolyn felt her heart ache. After all the worrying she had gone through, she couldn't walk away from the pleading in Lance's voice. She went back to her chair and sat down.

"All right, baby. I'll stay," she said. She looked up and shared a nod of understanding with David.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," David told them.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Versalle turned to David.

"Well he should be all right, but I'd like to keep him for a day or two," she said. "Just to run a couple tests and to make sure that there will be no complications. Although from what I've seen, I doubt there will be any."

"All right," David nodded.

"By the way, how…how did you know he could answer that?" she asked.

"Lance has an IQ of 148 and rising," David said with a hint of pride in his voice. "Plus he's recently been interested in reading high school psychology textbooks."

"Wow…I see," Versalle said. "Now I understand why you were worried about the head injury. But don't worry; I don't think there will be any cognitive effects. The concussion is moderate, thus why he vomited, and his other injuries are giving him some pain, so I'll have the nurse give him a very mild painkiller to help with that.

"Thank you Doctor."

"Now, I'll let the two of you stay tonight since your presence seems to keep him calm, but we will need to wake him up every couple of hours to check on that concussion. So expect a long night."

"Doctor, to be honest, I don't know if I could sleep tonight," David mused, rubbing his eyes.

"I understand," she said. "I'll let you get back to your son. He seems to need you." David watched as she turned and walked down the hall.

'_He may need me, but how much does he trust me?'_ he wondered.


	26. Year Five, Longing, part 4

Author's Note: Here is the last part of Year Five. And yes, there will be a Year Six. :)

I still do not own Bones or any of its characters. Drat huh?

Earlier today *shameless plug* I posted the result of my contest that I did a couple chapters ago. **Stephaniew** was the winner and the resulting story (The Truth in The Semantics) is now up. So please check it out. ;)

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Stephaniew**: Glad you are still enjoying this. And thank you for your kind words on TTITS. I'm thrilled you liked your prize so much. :D

**Cwgirlup**: I think that it would have been very easy for people to focus way too much on Sweets' intelligence when he was a child. I also think it would explain why his parents probably babied him a bit while growing up: so that he could still be a kid.

**Fear Herself**: I'll admit that that was the challenge for me: how do you take events that you already know the outcome for and make them interesting? Glad you like the results. ;)

**TearsXsolitude**: Unfortunately I can't do things like that because I have to use the computers at my college campus to write and post my work. And speaking of last night's episode: didn't it seem a little pale in comparison to the three episodes before it? Anyway, hope you like this chapter too. :)

Year Five—Longing—part 4

David walked back into the room to see Carolyn still dabbing at her eyes while watching over Lance, who looked to be asleep. David quietly moved his chair to the side she was sitting on and sat down next to her. He then put his arm around her and kissed her.

"It's all right, Carolyn," he whispered. "Lance is going to be fine." She nodded her head, but her expression was still sorrowful. "Carolyn?"

"I thought he was gone," she whispered. "I thought I'd never see him again." David rubbed her back; he was growing concerned.

"Carolyn, it's over now," he said. She turned to him and grabbed his hands tightly.

"Talk to him," she said. "Find out what he was doing. David, you have to reach him."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

David and Carolyn looked over to see that Lance had woken up and was staring at them.

I'm sorry, Mom, Dad," he said. Carolyn got up and leaned over to kiss Lance's cheek.

"I forgive you, baby," she said. "We both do." She exchanged a look with David and then started to walk out.

"Mom?" Lance said with a bit of fear.

"I'll be back in a little while," she said. "Relax." She then walked out the door, leaving David alone with Lance. David moved his chair closer to the bed and looked down at him.

"Dad?" he said with the same fearful tone.

"Lance, your mother and I, we love you and forgive you," he said. "But we wonder if you understand what happened here tonight. You could have been seriously hurt, and you frightened both of us." David leaned in closer to him to look deep into his eyes.

"Do you know how much you mean to us?" he asked. "And do you have any idea how much it would hurt us if anything were to happen to you?" Lance winced and began to tear up under David's intense stare.

"I…I'm sorry, Dad," he stammered. "I…I was stupid. I climbed the Harnson's tree so that I could sneak into Matt's bedroom." David sat back down and stared at the floor.

"I see," he said quietly. "Why?" Lance felt his cheeks growing hot and his throat tightening.

"I wanted to borrow his Turtle Party Wagon," he mumbled. David shook his head, still not looking up at him.

"You risked your life…for a toy?" he said. Lance felt about two inches tall.

"I thought…I used to climb trees before," he sniffed. "Back when I lived at the orphanage. I thought I could do it again. I…I didn't think Matt would mind."

"Did it really mean that much to you?" David asked his voice unsteady.

"I don't know," Lance said, tears finally escaping. I just …wanted it. I'm really sorry. You shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what, Lance?" David said finally looking at him again. "Shouldn't worry about you? Shouldn't care?" David got up and sat on the bed close to Lance. At the sight of his father's shiny eyes, Lance sniffled more.

"Do you think that by telling me how reckless and childish you acted that I'll somehow 'come to my senses' and stop caring about you?" David said. He then put his arm around Lance and held him close while still not breaking his gaze.

"I'm not Andrew, or any of those other foster parents you lived with," he continued. "I'm your father, and that means that I love you, no matter what. What I want to know is why you don't seem to believe that?" Lance looked down at his lap and brushed at the tears in his eyes.

"I know you love me," he mumbled. "It's just…" Lance stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I…I still get depressed," he said, not looking up. "I don't know why, really. You and Mom…you love me and give me everything. But sometimes…it's like these dark thoughts just…come into me. Come into my head. And I can't get rid of them. They make me feel worthless or empty or just…sad. I don't know what to do about it." He looked up at David.

"I climbed that tree just because I wanted a cool toy" he said. "I thought if I had that I could forget about those thoughts for a while. I didn't want to tell you about them because…because…" Lance looked back down.

"Because you didn't want us to feel like we failed you or that you weren't grateful somehow," David said. Lance gasped and slowly nodded. He still could not understand how his father was able to read him so well.

David then moved to hold Lance in his arms. He was mindful of Lance's cast, but made sure that he would be looking him in the eye.

"First of all, I know how grateful you are," David said. "You show it every day by being the loving son that you are. Second, Lance, you are recovering from a brutal and difficult childhood. Your mother and I don't expect you to recover overnight. As much as I wish it wasn't true for your sake, I understand that you will probably have setbacks and problems." He began to gently smooth down Lance's hair.

"But that's not important," he said. "What's important is that you get up every day and you move forward, you challenge yourself. You're healing, slow but sure. And I know that someday you will find a way to deal with your past. It will always be part of you, but it will not be what defines you." David gingerly embraced him and laid him back down onto the bed. He then moved back to his chair.

"Now, I know that it's not easy for you," David said. "But you need to learn that you can come to us with anything that is troubling you or making you hurt. That is part of being family: you support and love each other." He tucked Lance into his blankets and patted his hand.

"Now, you should rest," he said. "But please remember what I said. If you need to talk, we'll listen."

The events of the day and the pain of his injuries had begun to wear on Lance, so he found it easy to close his eyes and sleep like David wanted him to.

"I love you Dad," he muttered before falling completely asleep. David smiled at him.

"I love you too, sport."

* * *

The Sweets spent the rest of the night helping the hospital staff wake up an increasingly cranky Lance every two hours. David and Carolyn took turns trying to sleep through restless naps. The nurses finally stopped coming as the morning light began to filter in through the curtains, and Lance was finally able to enter a deep sleep. The Sweets took advantage of this time to go home and take care of the house, as well as freshen up and change clothes. They quickly returned to the hospital with some pajamas for Lance to wear while he was there. David headed straight for Lance's room while Carolyn decided to stop by the gift shop.

As David walked into Lance's room, he saw his son beginning to stir.

"Hi, sport. How are you feeling?" Lance sat up and blinked groggily.

"Tired," he said. "My head…feels strange." David sat down in a chair beside him and patted his shoulder.

"That's probably due to a combination of hitting your head, being woken up over and over last night, and the medicine they gave you," he said.

"Where's Mom?"

"She'll be here," David said. "She went on an errand." Just then a nurse with a tray of food and an overly perky smile walked into the room.

"And how's our patient?" she beamed. Lance merely shrugged and yawned.

"He's not a morning person," David smiled. The nurse sat the tray in front of Lance.

"Well he had a long night," she said. "Doctor Versalle has scheduled some tests for him later, so for now he needs to eat some breakfast." Lance looked doubtfully at the food in front of him.

"I'll be back to check on you later," she chirped as she left the room. Lance sighed and decided to try a bite. After chewing rather dramatically for a bit, he swallowed loudly and made a face.

"Dad," he said, still staring at the tray.

"What is it?"

"Remember how I said that I didn't understand why people made all those jokes about hospital food?"

"Yes?"

"I understand now," Lance said looking up with a twinkle in his eye.

"Sorry, sport," David laughed. "I'll try to get you some real food later." He then pulled a marker from home out of his pocket.

"Hey, will you let me be the first person to sign your cast?" he said. He was rewarded with a grin from Lance.

"Sure," he said, holding up his arm. David carefully moved the sling out the way and signed.

"I like that it's blue," Lance said.

"That was probably Doctor Colinablanca's doing," David said, finishing up. "They talked to her last night, and she knows that you like blue." At that moment, Carolyn walked in with her hands behind her back.

"Mom, Dad signed my cast," Lance grinned at her. Carolyn smiled back.

"Well I hope you'll let me sign it next," she said. "I got something for you."

She brought her hands to the front to reveal a brightly colored wind-up duck. She said it in front of Lance and turned the key on it a few times. The duck quacked and did a weird little waddle across Lance's breakfast tray. Lance chuckled at the strange toy.

"Thanks Mom," he said, picking it up to look it over. The cheery nurse returned.

"Excuse me," she said. "But it's time for Lance to have some tests." The Sweets nodded and started to leave.

"We'll see you when you get back to your room, sport," David said. "Just relax, and I'll bring you a snack." Lance lay back onto his bed, still holding his duck.

"Ok Dad," he said, subdued. The Sweets walked out as the nurse began to prepare Lance.

"What made you choose that?" David asked Carolyn as they walked down the hall.

"I don't know," she said, tilting her head. "I know it's a bit of an odd gift, but for some reason I thought of Lance when I saw it."

* * *

After a little over an hour, Lance was returned to his room, and David and Carolyn were there waiting for him. David had a brown paper sack in his lap. Carolyn got up to hold Lance's hand.

"How are you feeling, baby?" she asked.

"Tired, still," he said. "And hungry."

"I've got just the thing for that," David said, opening up the sack. "I stopped by the house and made you a couple of my famous club sandwiches." He pulled out the long column of bread and filling and sat it on the bag onto Lance's lap. Lance smiled and began wolfing one of them down.

"Thanks Dad," he said with a mouth full of bread.

Just as he finished his second sandwich, there was a knock on the door. The Sweets turned to see the Harnsons walk in with Matt in tow. All of them had somber looks on their faces.

"David, Carolyn…how is he?" Troy asked. David and Carolyn stood to greet them.

"He's going to be ok," David answered. "Broken arm and a concussion. The doctor wants him to stay one more night to make sure they'll be no problems. But otherwise, he's just fine."

"Thank Heavens," Mary said. "We were all so worried. Matt insisted on coming so that he could see that Lance was going to be ok." David noticed how Lance bowed his head and blushed, and how Matt kept shuffling back and forth.

"Troy, Mary, could Carolyn and I talk to you for a moment out in the hall?" he said. Carolyn looked puzzled for a moment, but after seeing David's expression, her eyes lit up in understanding.

"Yes, we just wanted to thank you again for last night," Carolyn said, herding the Harnsons out the door. David shared a brief but meaningful look with Lance, who nodded. He then walked out into the hallway, leaving Lance and Matt alone.

Matt walked a little closer to the bed.

"I'm really glad you're better," he mumbled. "Sorry I slept through it all."

"Matt, I'm sorry," Lance sighed. "It was all my fault. I…I climbed that tree so that I could sneak into your room."

"Why?" Matt said. Lance felt his face turning red again. He could barely look at him.

"I…my dad grounded me. And I, uh…I wanted your Turtle Party Wagon for the weekend," he choked out. Matt's eyes grew big in amazement.

"You climbed that tree and broke your arm for the Party Wagon?" he asked. Lance's face grew even hotter. His hand that wasn't hampered by the cast began to twist the bed sheets nervously.

"I know. Dumb, right?" Lance said. "I remembered that you said that I could play with it anytime I wanted and well…" Lance finally looked up.

"I was wrong to try to take it from you," he said solemnly. "I'm really sorry."

To his surprise, Matt smiled at him and patted his cast.

"You didn't have to do that," he said. "If you wanted it that bad, you should have just said so. I'd given it to you."

Now it was Lance's turn to be amazed.

"Really?" Lance said. "But…but that was your birthday present."

"I wouldn't have minded," Matt said, still smiling. "I have lots of toys. Besides we're friends, right?" Lance finally managed to smile back.

"Yeah, friends," he said. "Hey, you want to sign my cast?"

"Cool, sure," Matt said, picking up the marker David had left behind.

What neither Matt nor Lance saw was David standing by the door, a satisfied smile etched on his face.

* * *

A week and a half later, Lance showed up for his normal session with Doctor Murray. The bandage was gone from his head with just a few stitches near his temple. His arm was still in a cast, but out of its sling.

"Lance, I heard from your father about your accident," Murray said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm ok," Lance said, settling in on the couch. "Just this cast itches sometimes."

"Well hopefully it won't bother you too much," the psychiatrist smiled. His expression then grew serious. "Lance, how are you feeling?" Lance smiled back at him.

"I talked to my dad."


	27. Year Six, Doubt, part 1

Author's Note: I decided to go ahead and start Year Six because I'm thinking that updates may be a bit sporadic this next week. I have finals and two papers due. Plus, this next weekend, I'm visiting my family out of state. So I don't know how often I'll be able to put stuff up. We'll see. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Sorry to say.

Thanks again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: I couldn't resist the cuteness. :) I'm actually trying to keep Matt on the fence between friend and well...Angela had some theories...;) I plan on using him in future chapters. As for Lance revealing more...;)

**TearsXsolitude**: Glad you like the chapter. :D I hope to get a computer here in the next month. It would make my life easier. And I suppose last Thursday's episode wasn't so much bad as...well episode 100 and Bones on the Blue Line were just so much more powerful. And Death of the Queen Bee was funnier IMO...

**Stephaniew**: Writing machine huh? Consider this thought: I actually write out all my work on paper_ before _typing it onto the computer. As for Sweets being like Bones: I actually think he's more like Booth. But on the other hand, I think that Sweets and Bones have so much in common that Sweets empathizes with her a lot. I know some people don't think this, but I think he actually does care for her quite a bit and wants to see her get more comfortable around people. And don't worry, I'll keep posting for a while. :D

**TimeWitch16**: There will be a little more revelation in Year Six and a lot more in Year Seven and Year Nine. As for Lance becoming more assimilated...it will be a slow process, but it will happen. I have my plans...;)

**Whybeme**: I was wondering if anyone was going to comment on the fact that Sweets keeps giving Carolyn daisies. ;) It's a reference to Daisy Wick, actually. Throughout this story I've made numerous references to Bones: its characters and its actors. As well as references to a couple other shows that I like.

Year Six—Doubt—part 1

"Are you looking forward to your holiday break, Lance?" Dean Fry asked. Lance looked up at him. He had been gathering up his books and papers into his backpack since school had gotten out for the day, and was preparing to go home. Dean Fry had stopped by his classroom to speak to his teacher, and then ended up chatting with him.

"Yes," Lance said. "Mom, Dad, and I have already put up our tree just this last weekend."

"That's good," Fry nodded. "Are you traveling? Meeting up with relatives, that sort of thing?"

"No…no just staying home," Lance answered, closing up his backpack and slinging it onto his shoulder. "Dad's taking some time off work so we can have some fun."

"Sounds wonderful. Well I will see you tomorrow then," Fry said.

"Thank you," Lance said, walking toward the front doors and waving. "See you tomorrow."

Fry smiled as he watched him leave. Lance Sweets had quickly become one of his favorite students: bright, imaginative and full of potential. Now at eleven, there were serious discussions of him spending some time in high school classes part of the day along with his accelerated classes in the next school year. He was familiar with Lance's difficult background and was greatly impressed with how well he turned out under the Sweets' parenting. David and Carolyn were actively involved in their son's education, and it showed.

The one thing Fry was eagerly anticipating was discovering how Lance intended to use his intellectual prowess. Up to this point, Lance had never given any sort of hint as to what career he was considering or mentioned a field of interest for college.

'_Whatever he decides, I'm sure he will excel,'_ he thought to himself happily.

* * *

Lance walked outside to see Carolyn waiting in her car to drive him home. He quickly strode over to her.

"Hi Mom," he said, opening the car door and throwing his backpack into the back seat.

"Hi Lance," she smiled at him. "Guess what? We are going to have some visitors."

"Who's coming?" he said, buckling his seat belt.

"Well, you know how your father had a baby brother, right?" Carolyn said, starting the car and pulling out into traffic.

"Yeah, his brother died," Lance said solemn. "He said his family was in Germany."

"Well as it turns out, his wife and their two kids are moving back to the US," she continued. "And this Christmas season, they will be spending the holidays with us."

"But we only have one guestroom," he said. Carolyn chuckled a little at that.

"They won't be staying in our house, Lance," she said. "They will be renting a place here in town while they decide where they are going to move to." Carolyn sighed, smiling.

"We haven't seen them in years," she said. "Your father and his brother…they had a falling out a long time ago, and they weren't on the best of terms when Vincent passed away. But his wife, Kate, was always a dear friend. And I haven't seen the children since they were really little. The younger one, Elizabeth, is your age, and Vincent's son, Peter…wow he would be almost fourteen by now." She glanced over at Lance and grinned.

"I know your father is eager to see them," she said. "So am I. He is meeting them today and they are coming to the house for dinner. This will be fun."

"I guess," Lance said, looking downward. Carolyn noticed his expression and nudged his arm so he would look at her.

"Don't be nervous, baby," she said. "This will be the first time you've gotten to meet any of your relatives. I'm sure it will be fun for you." The rest of the ride home was spent with Carolyn making plans, and Lance saying very little.

* * *

Once they got home, Carolyn headed toward the kitchen.

"Go ahead and change," she called out to Lance as he started up the stairs. "I'm going to start dinner."

Lance went into his room and dropped his backpack near his desk, and took off his school uniform. After changing to a sweater and jeans, he plopped down onto the bed.

He wanted to be excited, like his parents were, but even after all this time; Lance would still get a bit anxious when meeting people for the first time. Especially groups of people. He started to stare at the ceiling, trying to calm himself.

'_It's ok. I mean, it's family, right?'_

'_But you're not really family.'_

That thought came to him unbidden, but now he couldn't shake it. It had been on his mind a lot recently. On one hand, he believed that David and Carolyn were his true parents; it was an instinctive feeling built on trust and love. But another part of him couldn't help but think about the distance other people seemed to see when looking at his family.

'_They're too old to be your parents.'_

'_You look nothing like them.'_

'_You're adopted? Did your parents die?'_

Lance sighed. Most people seemed to think that adoption meant that your parents were dead. Whereas Lance had to face the ugly truth that his parents either didn't want him or hated him. The fact that Andrew was still alive and out there somewhere scared him sometimes. Lance knew that by this point Andrew would have gotten out of prison. He had nightmares about it that he did his best to hide from his parents.

But worse than that was the fact that, he hated that feeling of separation from David and Carolyn. Like he was an outsider. And now some of David's actual family was coming to visit. Family that included children.

'_Kids who are his real family,'_ he thought darkly. _'Not ones who nobody wanted. Like me._'

Suddenly he heard the sound of the front door opening and voices downstairs, one of which he knew was David. He left his room and looked down from the stairwell to see everyone come in.

He saw a blond woman of medium height come in. Lance figured that she was Kate. Carolyn walked over and embraced her and smiled. Then he saw David with a child on each arm. One arm had a blond girl who looked a lot like her mother. The other one had a boy with light brown hair and green eyes. Just like David. Lance watched as the two of them leaned against David.

"Uncle David is funny," the girl giggled. The boy grinned.

"Yeah, you're pretty cool," he said. David held them close to him.

"And you have both gotten so big," he said. "Elizabeth, you're as pretty as your mother. And Peter, you look just like your father."

"Actually, I think he looks like you, David," Kate said. Carolyn smiled at that.

"You're right, he is starting to look like David," she said. David looked up and saw Lance standing at the top of the stairs.

"Hey sport, come down here and meet your aunt and your cousins," he grinned. Lance nodded and slowly made his way down the stairs. Once he reached the bottom, David let go of Peter and Elizabeth and stood behind Lance, putting his hands on Lance's shoulders.

"Kate, Peter, Elizabeth, this is my son Lance," David said, pride filling his voice. "He's eleven years old."

"Hello," Lance said his voice timid. He couldn't help but notice that both Peter and Elizabeth were taller than him.

"So, this is the boy you adopted," Kate smiled. "Vincent told me you were wanting to…" A wistful smile flickered onto Kate's face at the mention of her late husband, but it quickly passed. She walked over to hold out her hand to Lance.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lance," she said. After shaking her hand, Carolyn guided him over to where the children were standing.

"These are your cousins, Elizabeth and Peter," she said.

"Hi," Lance said softly.

"Hi Lance," Elizabeth said cheerily. Peter snorted.

"You're kind of short for eleven, aren't you?" he said. Lance began to blush furiously.

"Now, Peter, that's not polite," Kate said nudging his arm. "I'm sure Lance is still growing. Not everyone can be a giant like you." Lance kept his head down, and David could sense his nervousness.

"Why don't we sit down to eat?" he said. "Carolyn should have dinner ready in a few minutes, and we all have a lot of catching up to do."

As everyone walked toward the table, Lance felt a squeeze on his shoulders.

"Relax, sport. It's ok," David whispered into his ear. Lance nodded and took a deep breath as David led the way into the dining room.

* * *

Dinner was a festive affair with Kate, Elizabeth and Peter telling the Sweets all about life in Germany, and David and Carolyn catching them up on old family and friends here in the US. David and Carolyn tried to draw Lance into the conversation, but he was still reluctant to say much beyond answering questions that were put to him directly.

After dinner, they all gathered into the family room. Kate and Carolyn sat next to each other on a love seat and talked. Peter and Elizabeth sat on the couch with David in between them. They talked to him almost non-stop.

Lance sat in a chair a little bit away from everyone and watched the interactions. Especially the ones between Peter and David.

_'Dad seems to like Peter,'_ he thought. Lance frowned; Peter was quickly becoming to Lance everything that he was not: confident, outgoing, athletic and social.

Normal.

"David seems to be getting along really well with Peter and Elizabeth," he heard Carolyn say. He got up and moved a little closer to Kate and Carolyn while keeping out of their sight.

"Yes. Ever since Vincent died…" Kate sighed. "It's been hard on them both. Especially Peter; he was very close to Vincent."

"I know David wanted to see them," Carolyn said quietly. "He just…" Kate reached out and patted Carolyn's arm.

"I know," she said. "There were so many bad feelings between David and Vincent. It was hard for both of them. And then with the adoption and how that tied the two of you up…I know that whole thing put a strain on you and David. There was no way that you could take time for us." Carolyn nodded with a sad smile.

Lance scooted off to a corner of the room. He felt sick at Kate's words.

'_Was it that hard for Mom and Dad?'_ he wondered. There were many things about the first two years that he spent with the Sweets that he wished that he could forget about as he tried to recover from Andrew's abuse. But there were also a lot of good things as Lance remembered the love and gentle care that David and Carolyn gave him. No matter how bad things seemed to get, they were there for him.

Until now, though, he hadn't thought much about what it was probably like for them during that time.

'_They had to work so hard to take care of me; they weren't able to be with their family. Their real family,'_ he thought, miserable. He watched as David put his arm around Peter.

'I'm glad we moved back here so that David could be a part of their lives," he heard Kate say, faintly. "They could use a person like that to look up to. Peter even more so."

"David's a good man and wonderful father," Carolyn nodded.

Lance felt something dark and unknown creep into his heart. He clenched his hands as he watched them.

'_He said he was __my__ father. That __I__ was his son,'_ he thought bitterly. Now he watched as Peter seemed to fill that spot in David's life. Peter, who was a normal kid without so many issues, who was David's blood relation, and who didn't have a father to love him.

But now he was here and David could love him.

"Lance, come over here and talk to us," Carolyn said, causing him to look up.

He looked over at all of them, swallowing hard. He couldn't get rid of the anxious feelings, the dark feelings, which had overtaken him. Instead he got up and ran out of the room toward his bedroom without saying a word. The room was silent with shock for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" Kate asked, confused.

"No, it's just…Lance sometimes gets nervous when meeting new people," Carolyn said. "He can be very shy and awkward. He…well I told you he had a difficult past before we adopted him."

"I remember," Kate nodded. "It must be very hard for the two of you."

"I'll go talk to him," Carolyn said, moving to get up. But David stood up before she had the chance.

"No, I'll go," he said. He turned to face Peter and Elizabeth for a moment. "When I get back, I want to hear more about Germany," he smiled at them. He then walked out and started for the stairs.

"He seems devoted," Kate said.

"David adores Lance," Carolyn said. "And Lance loves him, practically worships him. They are extremely close."

* * *

David knocked and entered Lance's room to find him lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. David sat down next to him, but Lance did not take his eyes off the ceiling.

"Hey sport, how are you doing?" he asked. "Everything ok?" Lance shrugged, still looking up.

"I guess," he mumbled. David reached over and tousled Lance's hair.

"It's all right, sport. I know that meeting a lot of people for the first time is hard for you," he soothed. "But don't worry; I'm sure as you get to know them you'll find that you'll enjoy having more family around." Lance shrugged again. David stood back up.

"Why don't you come back down with me?" he said. "I was just getting ready to show Peter and Elizabeth that new video game system that I bought you for your birthday. In fact, you could help me. You're much better at that sort of thing."

"No," Lance said emphatically, turning onto his side away from him.

"All right, all right," David said. "If you're not ready for that, you can just watch the three of us play."

"No, I don't want to come down," Lance said, still not facing him.

"Lance, these people are your family. They want to spend time with you. You should try to…"

"I don't want to," Lance pouted. There was a moment of silence, and then David walked toward the bedroom door.

"All right, Lance. If that's what you want," he said. "But I think it's a shame that you don't want to be with your family." Lance then heard David walk out and close the door behind him. He squeezed his eyes shut.

'_They're not my family. They're your family. It's not the same.'_

_

* * *

_Sometime later, Lance sat up and thought again about his actions.

'_Maybe I should go down there. I wouldn't have to play with them. And it would make Dad happy.'_ Lance knew his father did a lot to make him happy; it seemed only right to try to do the same for him.

He got up and quietly made his way down the stairs and approached the family room. He could hear everyone talking and laughing inside. He peeked around the corner to look at them. He saw that Carolyn and Kate had moved to the couch and that David, Elizabeth and Peter were sitting on the floor in front of the TV. David and Peter were playing a video game, and both of them were smiling. Suddenly, David let out a dramatic sigh and held up his hands.

"I give up. You win," he said in mock defeat. Peter grinned at him.

"You should know that I am the video game king," Peter said, playfully. "No one stands a chance against me." David put his arm around Peter and smiled.

'You're just like your father, sport. Always having to give yourself fancy titles just to show off," he laughed.

Lance blinked hard at that.

'_He's perfectly happy without you around.'_

That dark thought was too much for Lance. He quickly ran back upstairs, careful to make sure that he didn't make any noise. Once back in his room, he threw himself back onto his bed and brooded for a while. At one point, he tried to read a book, but after reading the same page three times, he threw the book across the room and decided to stare at the wall.

'_I thought Dad only called me sport.'_


	28. Year Six, Doubt, part 2

Author's Note: Ah, was able to squeeze this in after all...;)

As mentioned, I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

And as always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. :D

**TimeWitch16**: Sweets will eventually become more positive...at least as positive as he is now.... And yes, there is more to Peter than meets the eye...Glad you enjoyed ;) And again, thank you for the mention in your story!

**Cwgirlup**: I think jealousy is Sweets' greatest weakness to this day. As for David's relatives and Carolyn's reaction...well Lance may not be seeing the whole picture...

**Ladykale1985**: Thank you again as always. :)

**Fear Herself**: Yes, Dean Fry is a reference to Stephen Fry, the other reference to him being David's middle name. Wyatt is my favorite re-occurring character. ;D And thank you for the review. Hope you will be updating soon as well.

**Summergirl515**: Welcome aboard, glad you are enjoying :D. And the secret to my writing so much....I have no life, ;) Just kidding...sort of....

**Cobalt6233**: Sweets' desire to be included is pretty strong on Bones, I think. As is his tendency to be jealous of anything or anyone that could threaten the bonds he forges with others. I suspect it's a deeply rooted problem....Anyway thanks for the review! :)

Year Six—Doubt—part 2

Hours passed and eventually Lance heard a knock on the door. It opened with David and Carolyn walking in. He turned toward them to see sad looks on their faces. Disappointed looks.

Lance, Kate and the kids are gone," Carolyn said softly. "It's time for you to go to bed, and you aren't even dressed yet." Lance looked downward.

"I…I guess I lost track of time," he said.

"Well go ahead and get ready now," she nodded. Lance got up and grabbed some pajamas out of his dresser, and he walked out toward the bathroom. When he came back, David and Carolyn were waiting for him, sitting on the bed. Lance gulped and walked toward them, still not able to look them in the eye. Suddenly, he felt Carolyn's hand on his cheek.

"Lance, baby, what's wrong?" she asked. "I know meeting people makes you nervous, but you were not very polite tonight. I know you know better than that." Lance felt his eyes becoming wet again. David reached over and lifted Lance's chin up toward him.

"Come on sport. Tell us what's bothering you," he said. At the use of that nickname, Lance's eyes grew dark.

"Nothing. I just don't like them," he blurted out. "All evening I had to hear about Germany and how great Peter and Elizabeth are. I'm sick of it." David drew back his hand; both he and Carolyn looked shocked. Lance went back to staring at the carpet. Then he heard the Sweets stand up from his bed.

"Lance, why don't you get into bed now," Carolyn said. Lance nodded and climbed in, refusing to look at them. As soon as he laid down he clamped his eyes shut. Then he felt a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, Lance," Carolyn whispered and walked away. Then he could feel David lean toward him.

"We will talk about your attitude in the morning," David murmured. "Until then, sleep well." He felt David stroke his hair. "I love you." Lance's eyes watered up even more at his father's gentle tone. He waited until he was sure that they were out of the room, and proceeded to bury his face into his pillow and very quietly sob for a while.

* * *

After an uneasy night, Lance jerked awake to see the morning light and Carolyn with her hand on his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

'I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you," she said. "But it's time to get up for school." Lance sat up and rubbed his eyes, still groggy.

"S'okay Mom," he yawned. He got up and grabbed his uniform and trudged off to the bathroom. After getting dressed for school and gathering his things into his backpack, Lance went downstairs for breakfast to see David sitting there at the table waiting for him. Lance swallowed hard at the sight; David was usually leaving by the time Lance came down for breakfast. He had thought that his father was going to wait to take time off from work until tomorrow.

"Good morning, Lance," he said, his tone neutral. "Come and eat breakfast. I'll be driving you to school today." Lance nodded and sat down while Carolyn served him some food.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, with mainly David and Carolyn making some small talk with each other. Lance finished his food as fast as he could, but found that he could only stomach about half of it.

"Lance, are you sure you won't eat more?" Carolyn asked. Lance shook his head, and Carolyn sighed as she took his plate away. Both David and Lance rose to leave, and Carolyn walked over to put her arms around Lance.

"Have a good day," she said, kissing his forehead. "I'll see you later." She then said her goodbyes to David, and the two of them left for school.

The drive was spent in complete silence. When they arrived David pulled the car over to park and turned to Lance.

"Lance, I want to talk to you about last night," he said. Lance hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said. "I was rude, and I acted badly. I'll do better next time." He glanced up at David to see him nodding at him, his eyes serious.

"That's nice," David said. "Now how about you try not just telling me what you think I want to hear." Lance felt his face get hot, and he looked away.

"Tell me what was really on your mind," his father continued. "I know that you were nervous, but you are normally better behaved than that. So what happened?" Suddenly Lance found it hard to catch a breath.

"I…I…uh...I just." Lance stumbled over his words. Finally he took a deep breath and blushed.

"You called Peter 'sport'," he said in a very small voice.

"That's what has you upset? A nickname?" Lance squirmed in his seat, his hands fidgeting.

"No, I…I'm sorry, Dad. It's stupid." David sighed in frustration.

"Look, Lance, I forgive you. All right?" he said. "And we can try again with Peter and Elizabeth. All of us are going out this afternoon to go sledding. But I want you to think about things so that we can talk later. Now, go on and get going to school. I know you have a lot to do today since it's the last day before vacation." Lance nodded and opened the door to get out of the car. At the last minute before he left, David grabbed his arm.

"Hey Lance, you have a good day, and I will see you later." Lance reluctantly pulled away and put his backpack on his shoulder.

"Thanks Dad, you too." And with that, he ran toward the school. David shook his head and drove off.

* * *

School was more demanding than usual for Lance that day. Not only was there the extra work in anticipation for the holidays, there was the fact that his mind kept turning recent events over and over in an attempt to feel better about things. The school day ended up feeling long and draining.

When school did let out, Lance slowly walked out, watching a few snowflakes drift past him. His backpack felt ten times heavier than usual. Soon he spotted Carolyn waiting for him in her car; in the backseat were Peter and Elizabeth. Lance sighed as he walked over and opened the car door. After carefully putting his backpack between Peter and Elizabeth, he buckled himself in the front seat and Carolyn drove toward home.

"How was school today?" Carolyn asked. Lance shrugged.

"It was ok," he said. He looked back at his cousins and tried to smile. "How was your day?" he asked them.

"It was fun," Elizabeth smiled at him. "Uncle David took us out to lunch." Peter nodded and began to open Lance's backpack.

"Yeah," Peter said. "Then he said we would get to go sledding later." He pulled out a book out of Lance's backpack and began to flip through it.

"Hey, that's my…"

"Wait a minute. I thought Uncle David said that you were eleven," Peter said. "This is stuff that I'm just now learning and I'm a freshman in high school this year."

"I _am_ eleven," Lance huffed. "And I'm going to high school soon too."

"Peter, Lance is very gifted," Carolyn explained. "He was able to go through elementary school at a faster pace than most children. That's why he goes to private school."

"Wow, that's kind of cool," Elizabeth beamed. "You must be really smart."

"I guess so," Lance blushed, "I...I like school."

"Then you should help Peter with his homework," she giggled. "He hates school." Peter nudged her hard in the shoulder.

"Shut up," he told her, putting Lance's book back into the backpack.

"I wouldn't want to be that kind of a geek anyway," he said under his breath. It was out of Carolyn's earshot, but Lance heard it and winced.

He had heard comments like that before.

'_He's some kind of freak. Always studying.'_

'_He's always showing off in class. Teacher's pet.'_

'_Geek. Loser. Thinks he's too good for regular classes.'_

Kids were always hurling these kinds of insults at him. Lance was able to find a couple of kids who were smarter like him that he could talk to, but even they seemed uncomfortable at times with how bright he truly was. Lance often found himself hiding how fast his mind processed things, and thus he often felt alone.

Lance stared out the window while the rest of them chatted.

'_No wonder Dad likes being around Peter,'_ he thought. _'Who would want to hang around a kid who would rather read a psychology book than play ball?'_

_

* * *

_Once then got home, Lance ran upstairs to change out of his school uniform so that he could go sledding with everyone. He had already changed pants and had just taken off his shirt so that he could put on the sweater that Carolyn had laid out for him on the bed.

"What…what's with your back?"

Lance turned to see Peter standing in the doorway, a look of fascination and horror on his face. Lance's face grew red. He quickly grabbed the sweater and put it on, covering his scars.

"Is that what your parents did to you?" Peter asked.

"No," Lance said, anger flashing in his eyes. "Mom and Dad love me. My birth father…he did that." Lance shook a little; he hated talking about his scars.

"That's who I meant," Peter said, irritated. "Your real parents. Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn would never hurt anyone."

"David is my real dad," Lance said, balling up his hands into fists. "And Carolyn is my mom."

"What's wrong with you?" Peter snorted. "I thought you were supposed to be some kind of genius. David and Carolyn aren't your real parents. They just adopted you is all." Lance felt his chest growing tight as he walked closer to Peter.

"David is my dad," he spat out. "He says he is; he tells everyone he is. I even have his name: Lance David Sweets."

"They just called you that so it wouldn't be such a hassle when they have to fill out forms for you or do legal stuff," Peter scoffed. "That and they were probably trying to be nice to you since your dad was so mean. But you're not family, not the way Elizabeth and me are." Peter enjoyed the way his words seem to egg Lance on.

Lance felt a cold pit in his stomach. Deep down he had had some of the same feelings.

'_You're not family. You could never be family.'_

'_They just took you in because they felt sorry for you.'_

But soon another feeling filled him as well: rage.

Rage at what had been done to him. Rage at the taunting of his classmates. Rage at the thought that he couldn't be normal. Not ever.

And for the first time, Lance acted out on that rage.

He walked over and punched Peter as hard as he could in the stomach. Peter doubled over, gasping for breath.

"Lance, what are you doing?"

Both Peter and Lance looked over to see David standing in the doorway.

"He hit me," Peter said, straightening up and moving to stand beside David. Lance stood there with his mouth hanging open; his rage had quickly been replaced by fear and regret.

"Lance, answer me. What were you doing?" David said, raising his voice slightly. Lance stood still, silent. He kept looking over at David and Peter and then at his own hands. _'What did I do?'_ he asked himself.

"Peter, go downstairs and wait for me," David ordered in a tightly controlled voice. "Tell your mother and Carolyn that I will be down shortly." Peter nodded and stalked off. He then turned to Lance.

"Lance you do not hit people," he said, walking over to him. "You of all people know better than that. You especially do not hit family."

"I…I…" Lance quaked, unable to look his father in the eye.

"There is no excuse for it," David said, taking Lance firmly by the shoulder to guide him to the bed.

However, all the love and trust that Lance had for David could not override the instinctive fear that familiar gesture held for him.

"Please no, Dad. Don't," he whimpered, collapsing onto the bed. David immediately let go of Lance at the sound of his voice.

"Don't what?" he asked. "Did you think I was going to…?" David's voice trailed off as he watched Lance's face grow red.

"Lance, you know I would never hit you," David said, softening his voice. "You know that, right?" Lance nodded his head slightly, but still didn't look up.

"This doesn't mean though that you can hit others," David continued. "You will have to be punished, but before I do anything, I want to know if you have an explanation for what you did."

"I…I don't have an excuse," Lance choked out, trying hard to not cry. "I'm sorry." David nodded, and the two of them stayed silent that way for a few moments.

"All right, Lance," he finally said. "Now, you will have to go with all of us today because I can't leave you alone, and I'm not going to punish everyone just to punish you. However, you will not be sledding with us. You will sit in the café on the grounds. Afterwards, you will come home, eat dinner, and will spend the evening in your room. Tonight, we will discuss what your punishment will be."

"I understand," Lance said, timid.

"Good. You will start by apologizing to Peter," David said. "Now go." Lance got up and started to walk out of his room, his head still down.

"Lance…I'm very disappointed in you," David said, his eyes sad. Lance shuddered and blinked hard.

Nothing that any of the kids at school had said to him hurt nearly as much as his father, who he adored more than anyone in the world, telling him that he was disappointed in him.


	29. Year Six, Doubt, part 3

Author's note: Next part. My plan right now is to type as many chapters as I can into my USB drive in the next day or two, and then update as much as I can over the next week. By the way, from what I see now, it looks like Year Six is going to be kind of long. That's good for me, I need to get a little further ahead in my drafts for future chapters.

Watch for the next update. I will be mentioning my latest story project (yes, apparently I'm not busy enough) ;) And another contest will be posted. Same prize as last time....

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Ah, if only...;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch16**: I had a feeling Peter would be unpopular. You're right about him being nothing like your Peter. And I agree that Peter should be doing some apologizing himself....

**DukeFan1982**: That had to have been quite the read. ;) Glad you joined up, and I hope you enjoy the rest.

**Stephaniew**: The further I get into this the more it almost feels like a novel. I wonder at times if the writers thought this much about Sweets' background... Ah well, this is part of the fun of fanfiction. :D

**Elipeel**: Good to hear from you. :) And don't worry, everything will eventually be revealed.

**Fear Herself**: Wow, that's pretty strong considering Andrew tried to kill him. ;P But keep watching: Peter may be an annoying kid, but your feelings about him may change over time... And I can't wait for your update. :)

**Cwgirlup**: Peter is a bit of a brat. But as I hinted to **Fear Herself**, there is a bit more to it. And like I told **Elipeel**, all will be revealed in the next few chapters. Especially in Year Seven and Year Nine...

**TearsXsolitude**: Even now, if you watch, Sweets seems very reluctant to talk about himself, outside of very casual details. I think this would have only been harder for him growing up. Hope you enjoy future chapters. :)

Year Six—Doubt—part 3

After apologizing to Peter, Lance found himself riding in the back seat of David's car. Carolyn had joined Kate and her children in the other car. Neither of them said a word during the whole drive.

When they arrived at the resort, David left with Peter and Elizabeth. Carolyn and Kate went to the café and had Lance sit at the table next to theirs with orders to remain there unless he needed to use the restroom. Then Kate and Carolyn wiled away the time by ordering soups and coffees and talking.

Lance spent his time staring at the window, struggling to contain his emotions. Soon more dark thoughts filled him.

'_I hit someone. David's family. Just like Andrew used to hit me.'_

'_Maybe you're as bad as he is.'_

'_Face it, you're nothing like David. You never could be. You're just like your birth father said: bad and worthless._'

Lance continued to blink hard. He was beginning to believe that he would never escape Andrew's voice. No matter how hard he tried.

* * *

Some time later, David became tired from all his running around with Peter and Elizabeth and decided to sit down on a bench outside. He cheered and waved at them as they walked by him. But deep down, he was worried about Lance and how he was acting and what he did. He looked up after a while to see Carolyn joining him.

"David, what happened between Peter and Lance?" she asked. David gave a deep sigh and began to rub his eyes.

"I don't know," he said. "He wouldn't tell me. I'm thinking of calling Doctor Murray tomorrow."

"David…"

"He hit Peter, Carolyn," David interrupted. "I don't know what has gotten into him lately. I mean, he's never hit anyone before. I'll admit that there were times I was a little afraid that he might act out that way since he used to be hit himself…but I guess I never thought he'd actually do it." Carolyn touched David's arm.

"I was talking to Elizabeth," she said. "She told me that Peter told her about Lance's scars. You know that would have upset him if Peter saw them." David shook his head.

"I know that it's hard for him, but that does not excuse his behavior," he said. "Do you know what he told me this morning? He said that the reason he was upset last night was because I called Peter 'sport'." David leaned back with a huff. Carolyn digested what he said for a moment and then inspiration hit her.

"David, Elizabeth also said that Peter kept reminding Lance that he was adopted, and that we aren't his real parents," she said.

"I'll talk to Peter," he said. "I'll explain to him that…"

"Don't you see?" Carolyn said shaking her head. "Lance was angry at Peter because he was jealous."

"Jealous? Of what? Of Peter?"

"David, you know that Lance thinks the world of you. It means everything to him that you insist that you're his true father," Carolyn explained. "Now, he's facing family, and he's not sure where he fits in. He sees how close you are to Elizabeth and Peter, especially Peter, and he's worried that you will choose Peter over him." Carolyn leaned closer to him.

"That's why he got mad when you called Peter 'sport'. That's what you call him."

"He's my son, Carolyn. I wouldn't choose anyone over him," David said sadly. "He should know that by now."

"I know," she said, putting her arm around him."But David, our baby has such a fragile heart at times. He's had so many people reject him and tell him how bad he is; it's hard for him to rid his soul of all that poison. He has to struggle with it even now. Just last week, Dean Fry pulled me aside to tell me about how he suspects that some of Lance's classmates are tormenting him."

"Why didn't he tell me?" David said, equal parts sorrow and anger filling him.

"Lance wouldn't tell anyone," Carolyn said, sniffling. "He didn't tell anyone what Andrew was doing to him; of course he wouldn't mention this…David, for him to be made to think that he wasn't our true family: it would crush him. You know that."

David found his eyes tearing up as Carolyn's words sunk in. He knew that Lance had self-esteem issues, but he didn't like to think that they ran that deep. He was beginning to worry that the damage done to Lance's psyche was beyond repair.

"We can't let him hit people," he said quietly. "I need to talk to him."

The two of them sat in silence for a bit and then looked up to see Kate walking toward them.

"Hey, are you two all right?" she asked. The Sweets nodded in unison.

"It's fine," Carolyn said. "We were just having a discussion. Where's Lance?"

"It's all right," Kate said. "He's still back at the café. Peter and Elizabeth are with him. I was just telling the kids that we should be getting home to eat dinner."

"Will you eat with us?" Carolyn asked. "We'd love to have you."

"Are you sure?" Kate said. "After what happened today?" The Sweets rose to their feet.

"We're sure," David said. "Besides I need to talk to all of you about Lance. We need you to understand some things about him and his past, and how it affects him now."

"We love our son," Carolyn said. "But he is healing from a difficult life, and he needs extra care."

"I understand," Kate nodded. "And I'm sure Peter and Elizabeth will understand too after you talk to them."

All the sudden, they saw Peter and Elizabeth running toward them.

"Mom. Mom," Elizabeth cried.

"What is it?" Kate said, instantly concerned.

"Lance ran off," Peter said. "I…we don't know where he is."

* * *

While David and Carolyn had been talking, Lance had continued to be consumed by his dark thoughts. When he saw Kate leave and Peter and Elizabeth sit at the table she had occupied, his feelings reached a boiling point.

'_I can't stay here. I can't.'_

Lance suddenly got up and sprinted away from the table. Away from Peter and Elizabeth. Away from everything. He heard the two of them calling after him, but that just made him run even faster. He darted down some hallways into a service area where trucks unloaded their supplies for the café. Lance could hear some people milling around in the back.

'_I can't get caught here,'_ he thought to himself.

He looked around and saw an open truck with a ramp sat down to unload. Lance scrambled up the ramp and hid behind some of the boxes in the back of the truck. Soon he heard the footsteps move away from where he was and he slumped down to lean against a stack of boxes. He pulled his knees up toward his chest, and finally let himself cry.

'_I don't want to be a charity case. I don't want Mom and Dad to just feel sorry for me. Besides, I hit Peter, their family….I don't want to hurt them too._' Lance buried his face against his knees.

'_I wish I was normal…I wish I had been David and Carolyn's baby. Then I wouldn't be the way I am.'_

Lance was so wrapped up in his weeping that he didn't notice someone lifting the ramp and shutting the doors to the back of the truck. At the heavy 'clunk' of the lock, however, Lance's head shot up. For a moment, he just sat in shock at the notion that he had been locked in. Then he leapt to his feet and ran to the door. He struggled to open it, but it was locked securely. Next, he pounded at the door.

"Let me out. Let me out of here," Lance yelled, banging his fists against the thick, solid metal. Suddenly, he was nearly jerked off his feet as the truck began to move. Quickly realizing the seriousness of his situation, Lance pounded even harder on the door and began to scream. But the roar of the engine along with the radio blasting away in the truck cabin, drowned out any noise that Lance made. After several minutes of trying, Lance gave up and resumed his spot behind the boxes.

'_Now what am I going to do? Mom and Dad don't know where I am, and I can't tell them.'_

'_Maybe this is for the best.'_

Lance shuddered a bit at the thought, but the more it repeated itself in his head, the more enticing it seemed.

'_Exactly…if I'm not there, Mom and Dad will be free to love Kate, Peter and Elizabeth…I can't go home now, anyway…'_ He sat and shivered, partially from the cold seeping into the truck, but also from the fear and sorrow.

'_It's my fault I'm stuck here…but at least I can't hurt them anymore…'_

_

* * *

_Back at the café, Carolyn sat at a table holding Lance's coat. In his rush, he had left it hanging on the back of his chair. David, Kate, Peter and Elizabeth were searching the café for Lance. It had been an hour since any of them had seen him. Carolyn was sitting there in case Lance came back to the table. She hugged the coat close to her.

'_Where is he?'_ she wondered. _'Where could he have gone?'_

Soon, David staggered out to where she was and sat beside her.

"David, where is he?" she said, close to tears. David shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. "We've searched the whole building. They…they're looking out around the grounds around the place now."

"But David if he's outside, he'll be so cold," Carolyn said, gripping the coat even tighter. "He doesn't have his coat…" David nodded, but said nothing. He was afraid of bursting into tears himself. Instead he held his wife close and comforted her. Soon Kate walked over with Elizabeth and Peter in tow.

"They haven't found him," she said. "They've called the police; they should be here any minute." Kate swallowed hard. "The detective I talked to on the phone…he said we have to consider the possibility that either Lance ran away or…it's a kidnapping."

David held Carolyn even closer to her as she began to tremble and cry.

"We're sorry," Elizabeth said, beginning to cry herself.

"Yeah, it was our fault," Peter said. "No…my fault. I shouldn't have picked on him. It's my fault that he's not here." He hung his head, and David stood up to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Peter, it's not your fault," David said somberly. "Lance is our son. He's our responsibility. Do not blame yourself." Peter seemed to grow more agitated.

"He didn't really seem like such a bad kid," he said, shaking his head. "It's just…he's so…different." Peter looked down again. "I saw the scars on his back…something awful happened to him, didn't it?" David nodded slowly.

"Yes, something bad happened," he said. "It was a while ago, but Lance still struggles with it. And yes, he is different. Special. But he's a good child. I'm sure that once he's home, and you spend some time with him, you will see that too."

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets?"

Everyone turned toward a pair of men in suits that were walking toward them. One of them held out a badge.

"I'm David Sweets, and this is my wife Carolyn," David said as Carolyn got up to stand beside him.

"I'm Detective Logan Vance," said the man with the badge. "This is my partner, Mike Gerson. I just want to say upfront that we know you are scared, but we're going to do everything in our power to get your son back to you safely."

* * *

Meanwhile in the truck, Lance stopped crying, but he kept shivering. He had on a thick sweater, but his small size made him vulnerable to becoming chilled. The cold from outside had quickly filled the truck where he was. He tried getting up and walking around to keep warm, but he was unsteady on his feet. He had originally thought that he would wait until the truck stopped and would sneak off then. But when he felt the truck stop at one point, he tried pounding again on the door to no avail. When the truck started moving again, Lance went back to pacing as well as he could among the boxes.

'_I wish I had brought my coat. It was stupid of me to leave it behind.'_

But a part of him was glad that he had the cold to distract him from his other thoughts. Like where he planned on going once he did get out of this truck.

Or even worse, the possibility that he would run into the wrong sort of place or the wrong sort of people once he did get out.

* * *

"Is there anyone who would want to harm you or your wife?" Vance questioned the Sweets. They were all sitting at a couple of tables in the café. "Someone who would take Lance to get back at one of you?"

"No, no enemies," David shook his head.

"What about Lance himself? I know he's a child, but is there someone who would….?"

"Oh God…Andrew," Carolyn said, her eyes wide and filled with tears.

"Excuse me?" Gerson said.

"Andrew Jensen," David said, fighting to remain calm. "He is Lance's biological father."

"You mean he's adopted," Vance said.

"Yes," David said, feeling all the anger he felt before rise up in him again. "We adopted Lance five years ago, and the adoption became final four years ago. He was removed from Andrew's custody because he was…abusing him." David gripped one of the legs of the chair he was sitting on, his knuckles turning white.

"And I take it he opposed the adoption?" Gerson asked.

"He did, but he didn't have a chance in stopping it," David said through gritted teeth. "He was in prison at the time."

"What for exactly?"

"Among other things for trying to beat him to death with a whip," David said. He was finding it harder and harder to control his feelings. Until just now, he hadn't thought much about Andrew in the last couple of years outside of how Lance still seemed disturbed by him. The idea that Andrew could actually get to Lance again was making David's blood boil.

"I see," Vance said, saddened. Unfortunately he had seen cases like that before. "And you think that he might try to grab the boy? To possibly hurt him again?"

"I know he blamed Lance for his being in jail," David nodded. "We've forbidden any contact with him because he threatened Lance during the adoption hearings. I know if he were to come near Lance again…he…he could…"

"Please," Carolyn said looking up with tears running down her cheeks. "Don't let him hurt our child again. Please find him." Vance and Gerson nodded and rose to their feet.

"If Jensen's in the system, we'll find him," Vance assured her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "In the meantime, if you think of anything or if anyone tries to contact you about your son, give us a call, day or night, at these numbers."

"Thank you," Carolyn said, taking the card into her hands.

"Mr. Sweets?" Gerson said, noticing David's cold, stony gaze.

"Just find my son," he said his voice edged with anger.

* * *

Lance sat on the icy metal floor of the truck, still shivering. He had grown too tired to pace and too weak to yell. It had been hours since the truck had last stopped, and Lance had given up on the possibility of anyone hearing him. He knew now that he would have to wait until the truck reached its destination and was opened up.

But all he could focus on was how cold and hungry he was. He hadn't eaten much for breakfast and had skipped lunch at school. Now he couldn't stop his stomach from growling. It was the cold, though, that held much of his focus. His hands had become red, sore and stiff. The tips of his ears burned slightly. His cheeks had become a bit numb.

Soon, he began to feel tired and he closed his eyes. He felt his body slide down to the floor and collapse onto his side. He moved his head to rest on his arm so that his cheek wouldn't rest on the frigid floor. He felt his shivering begin to slow down.

'_I'll just sleep now. Then I'll worry about what I'll do next. Not that it matters…'_

'_I'll…just…sleep....'_


	30. Year Six, Growth, part 1

Author's Note: Yep, this chapter will be kind of long. I've been able to type up a lot in the last couple of days, but it's looking like I won't be able to update this weekend. Darn....;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. It's all fun and games, folks...:P

*shameless plug* This Thursday or Friday I will be starting another story, Sweets-centric as always. Anyway it's called The Transition of The Therapist. Please check it out :)

And thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Stephaniew**: Thank you as always. I sometimes worry that I go too far with the internal dialogue. I'm glad people like it. :D

**Cwgirlup**: Carolyn is pretty sharp herself. And yes, I do believe the issues run pretty deep....

**Elipeel**: I think Wyatt was probably right on the money when he referred to Sweets' adoptive parents as "loving, wonderful people". Even considering the things he still struggles with, you can see how much they put into how Sweets turned out as an adult.

**TimeWitch16**: Glad you enjoyed the chapter and that it's all fitting together for you. I really wanted to explore what made him turn out the way he did in this story, so it's been fun (and somewhat challenging) to write about it.

**Cobalt6233**: It's amazing how certain words coming from certain people can really damage your self-esteem. I think Andrew was probably an expert at making Sweets feel about two inches tall. It's hard when you want to do the right thing, but you think so little of yourself. Anyway, thank you for your review, hope you enjoy future chapters. :)

**Not an infant**: Oh don't worry, we still have a long way to go.....;)

**TearsXsolitude**: It's like Sweets willfully tries to take himself out of the therapeutic equation. Once again, I think this tendency has deep roots. And no...sleeping is not a good idea here.... Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Year Six—Growth—part 1

David, Carolyn, Kate and the children finally arrived back at David and Carolyn's house late at night. The grounds and the café had been thoroughly searched, but had turned up nothing. There was no more for them to do but to go home and wait. Kate left the kids with David and Carolyn and picked up some things so that they could all stay together for the next couple of days.

Kate tried to help by making dinner so that Carolyn wouldn't have to think about it. Everyone was silent for the whole meal, and David and Carolyn were barely able to choke down any food. Afterwards, Peter and Elizabeth moved to the family room for the night, and Carolyn and Kate sat together in the front room. David was nowhere to be found.

Kate kept her arm around Carolyn, trying to comfort her as Carolyn cried.

"They're going to find him," Kate soothed. "They'll bring him back to you."

"I just keep thinking about Andrew and the thought that he could have Lance," Carolyn sobbed. "He did such horrible things to our son….Lance would be so scared right now."

"We'll get him back Carolyn," Kate insisted. "You're his mother; he belongs with you and David. There's no way that they'll let Andrew keep him." Carolyn looked over at the stand next to her. On it was a framed photograph of David and Lance. It was taken not long after the adoption was finalized. They had spent a week at a friend's cabin by the lake, and the picture was of the two of them standing by a tree next to the cabin. Both of them were smiling. Carolyn loved that picture; it was the first time that Lance seemed content after the hearing, and she knew it was due to David's patience and love.

"David…I know he said something to Andrew," Carolyn said, still looking at the photograph. "I don't know what, and I never wanted to ask. But I'm sure that he told him to never come near our son again…I know he would have done anything for Lance back then, and that's even truer now. If anything were to happen to him…"

"Try not to think about that now," Kate said. Carolyn shook her head.

"It would kill David," she said softly. "It would break his heart and kill him. Even if his body was still alive, he wouldn't be the same person anymore."

Kate patted Carolyn's back, and she thought about her late husband, Vincent. She knew that he had been similarly devoted to Peter; they were very close as father and son. She was sure that Peter was still mourning his loss.

'_That's probably why he likes being around David so much,'_ she thought. Despite all their differences, David and Vincent were very much alike in their devotion to their families. She knew that Vincent would have been devastated if anything like this had happened to Peter.

She prayed that she would not have to see what would happen to David if Lance did not come home.

* * *

After hours of driving, Frank Gallo was relieved that he was finally at his destination. He had driven all day, across two states, but he was finally at the warehouse to drop off the stuff that wasn't needed on his route. He got out of the truck and began to walk around a bit to stretch his legs. It was now almost three in the morning, but his day was almost done. He planned on taking a couple days off after this.

He went to the back of the truck and opened it up. He pulled out a flashlight and peered inside. At one point during his trip, he could have sworn he heard someone back there. But when he had glanced back a couple hours ago, he didn't see anyone and chalked it up to road jitters.

He put down the ramp to his truck and began to take out boxes. He didn't bother with the inventory sheet; he had done this so many times, it was all in his head. Besides, he figured that he would wait to unload everything before getting the attention of Gerry, the night manager of the warehouse, so he could check it all in.

Frank stopped for a moment and leaned against a stack of boxes to rest. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. He frowned as he put his hat back on. He truly did not need these long days anymore at his age. After all, he had put aside plenty of money to retire. But then again he was sure he'd get bored with no job to do all the time, so why not work while he could?

He straightened back up and moved to finish unloading boxes when he noticed something on the floor. Looking closer, he could see that it looked like a kid's sneaker. Then he realized that there was a foot in it. A foot that was attached to a leg.

Frank ran over and pushed some of the boxes aside so more light could come into the back of the truck. He knelt down on the floor, and he found a child laying there. He had dark, wavy hair and was dressed in a navy sweater and jeans. He didn't look more than seven years old to Frank. His eyes were closed, and he was very still.

"Hey kid, wake up," Frank said, shaking the boy's shoulders. The boy remained limp and still. "Ah geez, kid…"

He bent down and very carefully picked the boy up and carried him off of the truck and into the warehouse. In the light, Frank could see that the boy's face was ghostly pale with tinges of grey-blue.

"Gerry…Gerry," Frank yelled. "Call an ambulance." He continued to carry the boy inside. Frank noticed how cold he was in his arms; he prayed he wasn't hallucinating when he felt movement coming from the boy's chest.

* * *

Morning came, and Kate got up to prepare breakfast for everyone. She was exhausted after staying up most of the night with Carolyn, but she didn't mind taking over the household chores right now. She knew that David and Carolyn needed all their strength to be focused elsewhere.

When breakfast was served, David reappeared. No one had seen him all night last night, and Kate knew better than to pry. Carolyn had told her once that sometimes David needed to be left alone. This was clearly one of those times.

After breakfast, Vance and Gerson had shown up at the house to give the latest news.

"Well we do have something good to tell you," Vance said, sitting with David, Carolyn and Kate in the front room. "We were able to locate Andrew Jensen through his parole records. Seems he's been in the hospital for the last three days. Some kind of car accident. There's no way that he could have taken Lance."

"Thank God," Carolyn sighed, slumping into the couch a little. "Have you found anything else?"

"I'm sorry to say, not thus far," Gerson said. "We are going to try questioning some of the staff again today. See if any of them saw anyone hanging around the place, watching the kids a little too closely."

"Oh God," Carolyn said, putting her hand to her mouth. "You don't think that he was taken by someone who…by one of those…" Kate leaned over to embrace Carolyn who had started to shake. David sat next to them, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Vance and Gerson shared a pained expression. They had admitted to each other privately that Lance looked like just the type of kid a predator would look for: shy, vulnerable, baby-faced and innocent looking. But they knew better than to share that belief with the Sweets.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions yet," Vance said gently. "We just need to explore every possible angle. And on that note, we would like a list of everyone you think Lance would trust enough to leave the premises with them."

"It will be a short list," David said, his voice clipped. "Besides anyone on that list would know that they aren't allowed to take our son anywhere without telling one of us."

"Again Mr. Sweets, we just need to check every possibility," Vance responded. "We need to be as thorough as possible so we can help increase the chances of finding your son quickly."

"I'll get my address book," Carolyn said, rising to her feet along with Kate. "It will have people in it that you could talk to." Carolyn left the room, and Kate went with her, leaving David alone with the detectives.

"Be honest with me," David said his voice flat and emotionless. "Every day that goes by means that you are far less likely to find my son alive, if at all, aren't you?"

"Mr. Sweets, you need to be positive…" Gerson began. David shook his head and clenched his hands.

"Don't," he snapped. "Don't try to comfort me. Tell me the truth." Vance sighed.

"Mr. Sweets…you're right," he said. "It is dangerous for a child to be missing for more than a few hours. But believe me; we are going to work as hard as we can to make sure that your son is returned to you, alive and well."

"The best thing you can do is cooperate with us fully," Gerson continued. David nodded and sat back in his chair. He didn't say another word while the detectives were there.

* * *

Meanwhile, Frank Gallo was sitting at the bedside of the boy he had found in his truck. The nearest hospital that they were able to take him to was this little country place in the middle of nowhere. But they had a good staff, and they were able to treat the boy in time. Now he was lying in a hospital bed in this room; some color had finally returned to his face, but he was still asleep. Frank had accompanied him to the hospital, but admitted that he had no information about the boy.

The doctor on staff had called the local sheriff, a man Frank had known for years. But the sheriff was at a loss to identify the boy.

"No one's reported a missing kid around here," the sheriff said. "I'll start asking around to neighboring areas."

"Well we need to be careful who we return him to," the doctor said.

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"When I examined the boy, I actually found some sort of whip scars on his back."

"Jesus…whip scars?" the sheriff said. "Someone was beating him."

"Maybe that was why he was hiding out in the back of my truck," Frank said. "He was trying to get away from his parents who were beating him."

"Possible…but it's odd," the doctor frowned.

"What do you mean, doc?" the sheriff asked.

"Well almost all his old injuries, even the scars, seem to be at least four years old. Except for a recent break to his right arm," the doctor said. "Almost like there's some kind of gap in his abuse. Then there are his clothes."

"His clothes?" Frank wondered.

"I recognize the brands on the labels," the doctor continued. "They are all high-end children's clothes. Expensive. Someone is spending a lot of money on this child."

"So what do we do?" Frank asked.

"We need to wait until he regains consciousness," the doctor said. "Then we can talk to him, find out who he is, and maybe figure out who he should go back to."

"I'll get back to the station and see what I can figure out," the sheriff said, leaving.

"I'll let you know he says anything when he wakes up," the doctor called after him.

"Hey doc, would it be ok if I stayed with him for a while?" Frank said. "I already called my boss, and he's got no problem with me taking a couple days off."

"I suppose it's all right," the doctor nodded. "But why? You don't even know him."

"I guess not. But…" Frank huffed a little. "Well geez, I found him on my truck. I guess I feel a little responsible. Besides…he kind of strikes me as the type of kid who could use some looking after, you know?" The doctor smiled.

"I guess you could stay for a few hours. Just let the nurse know if he wakes up."

* * *

All that had led to Frank sitting in this room watching the boy sleep while drinking a lukewarm cup of coffee. He was glad that the kid was getting better. When he had first carried him into the warehouse, he was frightened by how stiff the boy was in his arms.

He frowned again at the boy as he watched him sleep when he thought about what the doctor said.

'_He looks so small, innocent. Why would someone beat him like that?'_ he wondered. Frank thought back to his own parents. They had been rather strict and distant, but they weren't abusive. He couldn't understand how someone could do something like that to their own flesh and blood.

His reverie was interrupted by a groan from the bed. He looked over to see that the boy was stirring. Frank got up and went into the hall to look for a nurse. He flagged down the first one he saw.

"Hey…tell the doctor the kid's waking up," he said. The nurse nodded and took off. Frank went back into the room to see the boy opening his eyes slowly. He walked over to his bedside.

"Hey kid, are you all right?" Frank said. The boy jumped slightly at the sound of Frank's voice, and his eyes began to dart back and forth. "Hey, it's all right. Don't be scared kid." The boy shivered a bit and sank back into his blankets as the doctor walked in.

"Hey, he seems pretty scared," Frank said, moving aside. The doctor nodded and leaned close to the boy. He took his wrist to check his pulse, and the boy whimpered.

"It's all right," the doctor soothed. "You're in the hospital. No one's going to hurt you here." The boy became very still and the doctor went on to check his breathing before finally standing up straight.

"My name is Doctor Alan Boyd," he said. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Cold," the boy said, shivering. Boyd pulled the blanket up closer to him.

"I'm sure you are," he said. "You got too cold last night. That's why you're here."

"Oh," the boy said, thoughtful. "I must have had hypothermia." Boyd blinked at that.

"Yes…that's exactly what happened," he said, surprised. "And if you know what it is, then you know that it's serious. Something you should have been thinking about yesterday before you ran around outside without a coat."

"Sorry," the boy said, tilting his eyes toward his blanket. He tried sitting up a little and pulled his knees close.

"Well no harm now," the doctor said. "But I need you to tell me your name." The boy trembled and kept his mouth shut.

_'If they know who I am they will send me back to Mom and Dad. I can't go back. I can't hurt them anymore.'_

The boy turned his face into his pillow. Boyd placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't need to be afraid," he said. "If your parents are hurting you, we can make sure that you don't go back to them. Just tell us who you are."

"No!" the boy said, lifting his face, his voice angry. "Mom and Dad never hurt me. They love me. It was my birth…" He suddenly realized what he was saying and stopped to put his head back down. The doctor could hear the boy sniffle a little. He shook his head and walked toward the door.

"All right then," he said. "I'll get you something to eat, and then we will talk more about what we will do after that." The boy laid back down and curled up under the blanket. Frank started to follow Boyd out the door when the doctor hesitated and turned back around.

"Could you tell me one thing: how old are you?" he said.

"I'm eleven," the boy said, turning on his side away from them.

"Thank you," Boyd said. "I will be back in a few minutes." The two of them walked out.

They eventually stopped in the lobby.

"Didn't think he was eleven," Frank mumbled. "He looked at least a couple years younger than that."

"Yes," Boyd nodded. "But his mind seems rather sophisticated, doesn't it? Even for eleven."

"Think he's lying about his age?" Frank asked. "That he's older?"

"No, I'd put his age younger before I would older, based on his level of physical development," Boyd said. "No, I think he just has an unusually learned mind."

"Well how are we going to get him back where he belongs?" Frank said. "I mean he won't even tell us his name."

"That's not too surprising considering what probably happened to him," the doctor sighed. "He's probably learned to not be the trusting kind." Boyd then reached over for the phone sitting on the receptionist's desk. "I think I know how we can narrow the search."

"How?" Frank said. Boyd dialed a number into the phone and waited for an answer.

"Hello, Mick? Boyd," he said. "On that kid, I have an idea…yes, he's woken up… No, he won't tell me who he is. But here's an idea: try expanding your search to places on Gallo's entire route… Yep all three states…And hey, trying checking the Social Services database. Look for kids who were in foster care who were subsequently adopted by their foster parents….Uh huh go back say, five years…Call it a hunch…Yep, I'll keep you posted." Boyd then hung up the phone.

"My whole route?" Frank said. "You think I picked up that kid early on?"

"It wouldn't surprise me considering the how bad his hypothermia had gotten," Boyd mused. "It would also explain why no one reported him missing around here."

"Makes sense," Frank nodded. "But what about the other stuff?"

"Ah," Boyd smiled. "You noticed how he answered when we asked him if his parents were hurting him? How he said 'Mom and Dad' and then he said 'birth' before stopping himself? I think he was going to say 'birth parents'."

"So, you think he was adopted?"

"Exactly," the doctor said. "It all fits. The older, more numerous injuries probably are from before he was adopted. Thus the gap in his injuries."

"But you said he had a broken arm recently," Frank pointed out. "How do you know his adoptive parents aren't abusing him?"

"I don't think so," Boyd said, shaking his head. "Only the broken arm seems to have happened in the last couple of years. Plus there are the clothes. But most of all it's the way he responded to the idea that his parents were hurting him." Boyd leaned against the wall, contemplative.

'He was very careful to differentiate between his birth parents and his adoptive ones. And it was his adoptive parents that he called 'Mom and Dad'. Plus, he seemed very upset and defensive of them when we implied that they were hurting him. Not the behavior of someone who is trying to get away from them because they are abusing him."

"All right, I see your point," Frank said. "So why won't he tell us who he is so we can send him back to them?"

"I don't know," Boyd frowned. "I'll admit that that's the part I don't understand. All we can do is wait and see if we can find out who he is. That may answer our question."


	31. Year Six, Growth, part 2

Author's Note: Well, next chapter as promised. But let me just vent in saying this: I love visiting family, but I hate traveling. There, I said it. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Not even in my groggiest dreams...

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch16**: The Sweets will find him, but maybe not right away....Stay tuned ;)

**Cobalt6233**: It always seems so logical when we think we are saving others from ourselves, but usually it's far from it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. :)

**Stephaniew**: I think you'll enjoy the chance to get to know Frank a little more in this chapter. ;)

**TearsXsolitude**: I agree that Booth could get him to open up. Maybe Angela too, in the right setting. The only other person I see is Cam, just because the two of them seem to have a really good vibe together of mutual respect.

Year Six—Growth—part 2

Back at the café and sledding grounds, Vance and Gerson felt like they were running in circles. The staff remembered seeing Lance run past them yesterday, but no one seems to have noticed where he went. Eventually they were able to trace Lance's steps to the loading area, but then the trail went cold.

"You know, some of the people who delivered here yesterday aren't here today," Vance said. "They've moved on to stops in other states."

"Yeah, I got a list from management of drivers that stop here," Gerson said. "You think the kid was on one of those trucks?"

"Starting to look that way. Guess that's a better thought than the idea that some pedophile snatched him up."

"Maybe so, but doesn't that mean that we could now be looking at a multi-state search?" Gerson asked. "He could have gotten off at almost any stop. And someone could have picked him up there."

"God," Vance said, rubbing his eyes. "How can I tell them that their son could be almost anywhere in two to three states, where almost anyone could get to him?"

* * *

At the Sweets' house, Kate had left to take her children out for a while, leaving David and Carolyn alone. Carolyn wandered around the house, doing miscellaneous chores to keep her occupied. David had left at one point without saying a word to Carolyn. After two hours of housework, she sat down on the couch in the front room and sighed.

She was worried about Lance, but she was also worried about the behavior of her husband. Normally, he was her anchor when times were hard. But when there were issues with Lance, he took them much closer to heart than usual. Lance's not being there was making it especially difficult for David.

Carolyn leaned back on the couch. She was too tired to cry at this point. Instead she had taken to praying when she thought of it. Praying for Lance's safe return, and praying for David to find the strength he needed to get through this. She closed her eyes for a bit, lost in her thoughts.

After a while she heard the sound of the front door open and close. Carolyn sat up and went to see who was there. She heard a rustling from the family room and went over there. Walking in, she found David, sitting on the floor by the Christmas tree. Next to him was a shopping bag, and Carolyn could see that he had bought some more toys. He had pulled out some wrapping paper and was beginning to wrap up the things that he bought.

"David," she said walking up to him. "Didn't you already finish buying presents for Lance?" David stopped for a moment and sighed.

"I did," he said, not looking up. "But I just wanted to get a few more." He then continued on his task. Carolyn crouched down beside him.

"David," she said her voice sad. "You don't have to…"

"Maybe I don't," he snapped. "But maybe I want to." He turned back to what he was doing and Carolyn stood back up.

"All right," she said. "I'll be in the front room if you need me…for anything." David nodded and continued to work on wrapping the box in his hands.

"I love you," she said as she walked away.

"I love you, Carolyn," David said as she left.

* * *

In the hospital the boy slowly ate the food on the tray in front of him. It wasn't very good, but he was hungry so he tried to swallow down as much as he could. Boyd had stopped by again and asked him what his name was, but he still refused to talk. He gave up and left him alone, with Frank sitting on a chair nearby, sipping a cup of bitter coffee.

"Food lousy?" Frank asked, grimacing from his latest sip. The boy shrugged and put his fork down.

"It's…I was hungry," he said. He then looked up at Frank. "Why are you here?"

"You're a polite kid, aren't you?" Frank snarled back.

"Sorry," the boy whispered. Frank gave a low chuckle.

"I'll forgive you," he said. "If you tell me your name." The boy looked away and fidgeted.

"Come on," Frank urged. "I can't just keep calling you 'kid'. Besides, I'm the guy whose truck you snuck onto. I'm the one who found you. So you owe me." The boy kept staring out the window.

"Look, just give me your first name," Frank said. "And don't worry; yours can't be as bad as mine. You know how everyone calls me 'Frank'? Well that's not my actual name. It's really Francis. Francis Gallo." The boy finally looked back at him. "I mean, who calls their son 'Francis'? But my mother wanted it so…"

"It's Lance," he said. Frank tilted his head at him.

"Lance? You mean like Lancelot? Knights of the Round table and all that?" he said. Lance shook his head.

"It's just Lance," he winced.

"Ok kid, so you have an interesting name too," Frank smiled. "And don't worry, I won't call you Lancelot."

"Thanks," Lance grimaced. "And uh…thanks for saving me."

"Well maybe you should think things through better before doing them," Frank said. "Hiding out on my truck was a stupid thing to do. Funny thing, though, you don't strike me as a stupid kid."

Lance shrugged and pushed his tray away so he could lie down.

"So tell me, Smarty Pants, what are you going to do now?" Frank asked him.

"Excuse me?"

"Well you can't stay here," Frank said. "This is a hospital, not a hotel. So where are you going to go?" Lance sat back up and frowned.

"I…I don't know," he mumbled.

"Why not go back home to your parents? They're probably worried sick about you."

"No," Lance said forcefully. "I…I can't go back to them."

"Why not?" Frank asked. "Is it 'cause they're just your adoptive parents?" Lance had a look of panic flash in his eyes. "Would you rather go back to your birth parents?"

"No…please," Lance trembled. Frank nodded. _'Looks like the doc was right about him,'_ he thought.

"Well then, where?"

"I…I…" Lance took a deep breath, a look of resolve forming on his face. "I'll think of something."

"Sure you will," Frank sighed. Lance grew irritated.

"I will," he insisted. "No one has to take care of me."

"Maybe not. But people want to, don't they?" Frank mused. Lance's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" he said. "Because I'm a kid? Because I'm small? Just because I am doesn't mean…"

"Ah, I wasn't trying to make fun of you, Lance," Frank huffed. "You're…you're just that type is all. I'm sure you're a tough kid, considering what's on your back." Lance flinched at that and pulled the blankets around him more.

"But some people…kids...even some adults…they just inspire people to want to take care of them, to protect them," Frank continued. "It's not because they're thought of as weak or helpless; there's just something about them that fires up the parental instincts. And you definitely seem like that type." Frank leaned toward him, his hazel eyes staring into Lance's round, brown ones.

"I'll bet that your parents like to pamper you, to baby you somewhat, to shelter you from certain things."

"How…how did you…?" Lance goggled at him. Frank smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"I told you. You seem like that type," he said. "And you better get used to it because I have a funny feeling that it's not going to stop. Even when you grow up and move away from your parents. I'm sure that someone else will take on the role of watching over you."

"I doubt it," Lance frowned. Frank laughed a bit.

"Mark my words, it will happen," he said. "I knew a kid like you when I was in the Army. Bright kid, always felt things deeply. Everyone on my squad watched over him. Treated him like their little brother. Of course, he resented how we all picked on him, but secretly, I think he liked it."

"So, do you still treat him like a kid?" Lance smirked. Frank's expression grew serious and Lance's face fell. "What happened?"

"Sniper got him," Frank said softly. "I'll never forget the day it happened. We were all heart-broken. But our sergeant…he really took it hard. He had such a soft spot for that kid…" Frank shook himself and sat up straight again.

"Anyway, the point of all this is that you've probably got people who are worried about you," he said. "You should let them know where you are."

"I…I can't," Lance said, shaking his head. He turned to look out the window. "I know you won't listen to me because I'm a kid, but…it's better that I don't go home. I…I hurt their family and them. They don't deserve that."

"So, you think they'd be better off without you, huh?" Frank said. He was sure that Lance was wrong about that, but he seemed convinced of it.

'_Maybe his birth parents aren't beating him anymore, but he's doing a good enough job beating himself up,'_ Frank thought. _'What eleven-year-old kid thinks that his parents would be better off without him?'_

Frank stood up and dumped his half-empty coffee cup into a nearby wastebasket.

"I'll be back in a minute," he told Lance as he walked out.

Frank walked around the halls until he found Boyd.

"Hey doc, what are you going to do with that kid?" he asked the doctor. Boyd sighed.

"I guess, I'll have to turn him over to Sheriff Mick," he said. "We don't really have a Social Services place anywhere close to here that can take care of a child."

"Let me talk to Mick," Frank said. "If he says ok, I'll watch the kid for a day or two."

"You sure about that, Frank? You don't even know the kid."

"Yeah, maybe but…geez, the kid's all gung-ho about walking out of here and taking care of himself. And we both know how bad of an idea _that_ would be," Frank said. "I'm sure we'll find his parents in a day or two. I can watch him 'til then." Boyd shook his head.

"All right Frank. If Mick says ok, you can go ahead and take him," the doctor said. "I'll probably let him out of here in a couple hours." Frank nodded and walked back to Lance's room. Lance turned toward him, sniffling a little.

"Hey, Lance, why don't you stay with me for a couple days while you figure out what your next move will be?"

* * *

After a day of interviews, Vance and Gerson felt no closer to finding Lance. They drove up to the Sweets' home in silence for the most part

"The Sweets…they seem like nice parents," Gerson said. "I hate the idea of showing up with nothing to give them."

"I know," Vance nodded. "But we need to keep them updated somehow. They deserve that much."

Once they arrived, they joined David and Carolyn in the front room. Kate had returned by that point and was with the children in the family room.

"Well we checked out everyone from the list you gave us," Vance said. "Unfortunately no leads there. We also talked to some of the drivers from the loading area of the café. None of the ones we talked to remember seeing him, but a couple of the drivers mainly work out of state. We are tracking them down and hope to start talking to them tomorrow."

"You think one of those drivers took him?" David asked, growing pale. "Took him out of state?"

It may not have been anything malicious," Gerson said. "Lance could have gotten onto one of their trucks, and they may not have realized he was back there."

"Why would he do that?" Carolyn said. "Did…did he want to be left alone that badly?" She turned to David and instantly wished that she had not said that. His posture had sagged, and he looked even more haunted than he did before.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweets don't be discouraged," Vance said. "We're closing in on Lance's timeline and movements. I'm sure that we will find out where he went from here. Chances are, if he was on one of those trucks, the driver turned him into the local authorities. It's just a matter of figuring out what police station has him."

David got up and left Carolyn alone to talk further with the detectives.

'_Two days…two days and they haven't found a thing,'_ he thought. _'My son could be anywhere…who knows if anyone is taking care of him…or if he even wants to come home…'_

David vaguely heard Kate walk by him and try to talk to him, but he just kept walking up the stairs and toward Lance's room. He went in and closed the door behind him. Sitting down on the bed, he found Lance's school uniform jacket thrown onto it. It was still in the same spot that it was the last day Lance was there.

David sighed. He and Carolyn had nagged him about hanging it up after school. David picked it up and held it.

'_How many times have we asked him…to…?'_ David bowed his head and began to shake. _'God…I don't care anymore if he leaves it on the bed, on the floor or in the middle of the yard. I just want him back,' _he thought.

'_Lance, I'm very disappointed in you.'_

At the thought, that those could be the last words that his son would ever hear him say, David hunched down and wept, gripping the jacket tight in both hands.


	32. Year Six, Growth, part 3

Author's Note: Last update before the weekend. I'm hoping to update both this and TTotT again by Monday...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. But it sure would be fun...;)

Since so many have commented on this, I figured I'd say something collectively. Just for the record: no, Frank Gallo did not serve with Booth. As I mentioned to one of my other readers, in this story I make a lot of references to Bones. Sometimes it's references with the characters' names or the actors' names. Other times it's more subtle like the whole thing with Lance giving Carolyn daisies over and over being a reference to Daisy Wick. One character I've made numerous references to is Booth, since I think he plays a big role in Sweets' life now. One way I did it was by making David so "Booth-like" since I suspect that Sweets' adoptive father had some of his qualities, thus why Sweets is so attached to Booth. Another way was by having characters make references to people who are like Booth: for instance, Gallo's sergeant that he served with. It's kind of a foreshadowing of things to come....

Anyway, thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I'm flattered that so many people have analyzed this. :D

**TimeWitch16**: I think you'll see that Lance will become more proactive over time. It's just going to be baby steps is all. ;)

**Cwgirlup**: Sadly it's such a common thing: the last thing we say to someone is not the thing you would have wanted to be the last thing. But don't worry, that won't be the case here. ;)

**Fear Herself**: I picture Frank being the "snarkier" side of Booth, the side of him that likes to pick on Sweets a bit. Although, another inspiration for this character was Booth's grandfather, Hank (I really enjoyed The Foot in the Foreclosure). ;)

**Terra Young**, **Not an infant**: Thank you for your reviews. Hope you enjoy future chapters :D

**TearsXsolitude**: I imagine that having such a close bond with one's son like David has with his would carry the price of it being especially devastating if anything were to happen to him. But things will get better....

**Cobalt6233**: And thanks again for your kind reviews :) Like I mentioned before, I imagine that Sweets was not the easiest child to raise. I think it would have been hard for anyone to never lose their patience with him. Sadly, in times like that we can easily lose sight of what's important...

Year Six—Growth—part 3

Lance sat in silence while riding in the car with Frank. He had finally been checked out of the hospital, and the two of them had stopped by a department store. They picked some socks, underwear and a couple sweatshirts so that Lance could change clothes while he was staying with Frank. Soon they arrived at his house.

Gallo lived in a small two-bedroom house by himself. It was sparsely decorated and furnished, but it was clean and neat. Lance flopped onto the couch in the front room while Frank went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After a few minutes, he came out to the front room with mugs of canned tomato soup and plates that held grilled cheese sandwiches.

"I know it's not much," he said. "But I'm damn sure it's better than hospital food." Lance nodded and quickly ate everything in front of him.

"Thank you," Lance said as he finished his last sip of soup. "For the dinner, it was good….And thank you for letting me stay here. I know you didn't have to do that."

"Well I knew there was no stopping you," Frank smirked. "Better you stay here than to have you wandering off and getting lost or something." Lance sat and looked around the room for a few minutes while Frank finished his food. He then turned back to Frank with an intense look in his eye. Frank found himself a little uneasy at how Lance seemed to look through him.

"That girl in those photos?" Lance said, pointing to a large arrangement of framed photographs on the wall. "She's your daughter, isn't she? Why don't you spend time with her?" Frank jumped a little at Lance's words, and then gritted his teeth.

"All right…how did you figure that out?" he growled. Lance gulped at his tone and looked down at the rug.

"Um…she's the only kid in all of your pictures and there are a lot of her," Lance mumbled. "So I thought she was family. And even though she keeps getting older, you are never in any of the pictures….like you are never where she is…so I thought maybe you didn't see her much…" Lance looked up and shuddered at Frank's irritated expression.

But then Frank burst out laughing and slapped his knee.

"Damn kid…that's mighty sharp of you to notice," he said. "Looks like Boyd was right about you; you're unusually smart for an eleven-year-old." Lance shrugged.

"Yeah my teachers say that. That's why I'm going to high school soon."

"Really?" Frank said, leaning back in his chair and putting a hand to his chin. "So what are you? Some sort of child prodigy?" Lance got up from the couch and began to pace.

"I guess," he sighed. "I don't want to be though." Lance stopped pacing for a moment.

"I wish I was normal."

"What's normal?" Frank huffed. Lance looked over at him, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Look, Lance, so you're a bright kid, maybe some sort of genius. So what?" he said. "You probably still have Mom and Dad nagging at you to do your chores, and you have to put up with the snotty kids at school whose parents spoil them, and then you come home and watch cartoons or play video games. Am I right?" Lance sighed again and nodded his head.

"That's what every kid has to put up with," Frank continued. "Oh I'm sure that some parts of your life aren't typical, but the fact is, everyone has their ups and downs when they're young. You need to stop thinking about how different you are, and admit that you're still a kid. And sometimes, being a kid isn't easy."

Lance threw himself back on the couch and sniffled.

"You…you sound like Dad," he said quietly. Frank leaned toward him.

"You miss him, don't you?" he said. "You are really close to your dad?" Lance nodded slowly, still trying to hold in any tears.

"Don't you think that if you miss him this much that he misses you even more?" Frank said.

"Stop it!" Lance snapped."I'm not going back home. Ever. If you want to kick me out, that's fine." He lifted his chin defiantly. "But I'm not going back." Frank got up from the chair he was sitting on. Draped across the back of it was an old, blue-and-white knitted blanket which he picked up and threw at Lance. Lance flinched at the action.

"I'm tired, and I'm going to bed," Frank said. "You can sleep on the couch tonight. Watch some TV if you want, just keep the sound down." He then began to stomp out of the room.

"I'm sorry," Lance called out to him. "I…"

"Look Lance, not tonight," he sighed. "I've been up for almost two days, and I need some sleep. You can go ahead and spend the night here if you want. Just let me be for now." Frank then turned and headed for his bedroom.

Lance turned off the lights in the room, except for a lamp next to the couch. He then laid down, curling up under the warm, but slightly scratchy, blanket. Unable to sleep, he kept looking around the room.

He wanted to believe what Frank said, and, truthfully, he really did want to go home.

'_But I ran away from home. Mom and Dad…they'll be mad at me for doing that…maybe they won't want me to come back…maybe they'll hate me for what I did…'_ he thought.

'_But you should know that no matter how many mistakes you make, your mother and I won't stop loving you.'_

When his father's words came back to him, Lance finally started to weep. He wanted to be able to trust in the things that David told him, but he just couldn't. Not completely. He couldn't really understand why; David and Carolyn had proven their love for him many times over. So why couldn't he believe that they loved him no matter what?

Lance picked at some lint on his blanket and sniffed.

'_You're worthless.'_

He squeezed his eyes shut. No matter how many times David told Lance that he loved him, Andrew's words still echoed in the back of his mind. He often wished that he could get Andrew's voice out of his head for good. But he knew he never would.

They would always haunt him: the scars on his back and Andrew's voice.

'_That's what's turning you into such a rotten kid. You're turning out like Andrew.'_

'_You can't escape it.'_

These thoughts continued to invade his head, no matter how much he tried to shut them out.

'_I have to stay away. I have to. I can't hurt Mom and Dad the way Andrew hurt me.'_

_

* * *

_Just as the morning sun began to streak through the sky, Carolyn woke up in her bed, and sat up. It had been another restless night. Kate and her children had returned to the place they were renting last night. So now the house was empty, except for her and David.

'_Empty. That's a good word for this place now,'_ she thought.

Carolyn contemplated how it used to be that all she needed was David around to keep her content. His presence still comforted her, but now she knew that she needed her son too in order to feel that same sense of contentment. She looked over to see that she was by herself in bed.

_'I can't handle this alone.'_

She got up and put her robe on, and went to look for her husband.

Carolyn walked around downstairs and saw that there was a light on in the family room. She went in to find David sitting on the couch. In his lap was a large photo album which he had opened up. His eyes were brimming with tears as he stared at the pictures. Carolyn sat down beside him and he put his arm around her, wordlessly. She looked down to see what he was looking at.

The photos were of Lance's eighth birthday, his first one as a Sweets. David had made a big deal out of it and fussed over him that day. Lance had acted embarrassed at times, but even in these pictures, one could see the love and sheer joy in his eyes. Carolyn knew that that joy did not come from all the presents David gave him that day or the outing they went on together.

"He was so happy that day," she finally said. "He kept saying that that was his first 'real' birthday." David nodded, still not speaking.

'It's almost Christmas Eve," she continued. "Lance loves Christmas; he shouldn't miss it. He'd hate that."

Suddenly, David put aside the album and pulled Carolyn close for an embrace. Carolyn could feel his shoulders shaking.

"David, he'll come back," she said as she held him. "I know he will. We're his parents…we'd feel it somehow if something happened to him."

"I told him that I was disappointed in him," David said, his voice rough and low. "That's the last thing he heard me say before he…before…" Carolyn felt her own tears rising up at the sorrow in David's words.

"David he knows that you love him," she said. "There's no way he that he couldn't know. And when he comes home, you can tell him again." David fell silent after that.

Carolyn prayed that she was right about Lance coming home. But it was getting harder to believe with each passing hour.

* * *

Frank got up to the buzzing of his alarm and punched the 'off' button with his thumb to shut it off. He sat up and scratched his head. He had gotten a call a half hour earlier from his boss saying that he needed Frank to come to the office for something, and he hoped that Lance wouldn't mind being left alone for a while.

'_What have I gotten myself into with this kid?'_ he asked himself. Frank thought again about their conversation last night; he was definitely a unique child. He imagined that Lance's parents were probably out of their minds with worry.

'_A kid like that…it would leave a pretty big hole in a parent's world to lose him.'_

Frank knew that he needed to get Lance home, but he was at a loss as to how to approach it. He had contemplated picking the kid up and carrying him under his arm to the police station and leaving him there. But he knew that wouldn't work. He then thought of waiting until Mick identified him, and once he had an address, driving Lance back without telling him where they were going, using some sort of ruse to get him in the car.

But then he thought about how perceptive Lance had been while looking at those photographs of his daughter, and he rejected that idea.

'_If I try to drive him back home without telling him, he'll figure it out and take off the first chance he gets. Besides, something tells me he'd be good at spotting a lie.'_

He picked up the phone, and called the sheriff to see if he had found out anything yet.

"Nope, nothing yet," Mick said. "I'm going to have Mary's kid come over to help me with this damn computer the department put in. So far no missing child reports in this state match his description, so we are looking at neighboring states now."

"What about Boyd's suggestion? About looking him up in the Social Services database?"

"Nothing yet there either," the sheriff said. "But you know that's a lot of names to sift through and a lot of these files don't have pictures. We'll keep trying though. Kid tell you anything?"

"Just his first name, Lance," he said.

"Lance? You sure he didn't make that up?"

"Nah, I'm sure that's his name," Frank snorted. "That should help you narrow it down. Can't be too many kids in the system with that name."

"I'll get on it," Mick said. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine," Frank answered. "A bit of a pain in the ass, but fine. My boss wants me to come in for something today, so I'm leaving him here. I'll have Annie stop by and check on him. Just to be sure he doesn't burn the house down or something."

"All right, talk to you later."

Frank shifted his legs over the side of the bed and huffed.

'_The only way I'm going to get him home any time soon is if he goes willingly.'_

He got up and walked to the front room. He found Lance curled up on the couch, still asleep. Frank noticed that his eyes were a bit puffy and his face was red.

'_Probably cried himself to sleep,'_ he thought, shaking his head. He left him to go take a shower and change clothes. Afterwards he went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He made some toast and got some bacon sizzling in a skillet. He reached for the eggs and stopped himself. Frank went back out to the front room and nudged Lance hard to wake him up.

"Hey, how do you like your eggs?" he asked. Lance blinked his eyes several times and propped himself up with one arm.

"Wha?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Eggs. How do you want them?" Frank said. He snickered as he watched how disoriented Lance seemed. 'Not much of a morning person are you?"

"Uh…scrambled?" Lance said sleepily. He sat the rest of the way up and threw the blanket aside.

"Why don't you go to the bathroom so you can wake up the rest of the way?" Frank smirked, pointing toward the bathroom. "Then you can join me for breakfast.

"'Kay," Lance said, still groggy. He got up and followed the direction Frank was pointing to. After disappearing in the bathroom for a couple minutes, he joined Frank at a tiny, wooden table in the kitchen.

"Look, I need to go to work for something today, so I'll be gone for a while," Frank said between bites of bacon. "I'll let you stay here by yourself if you promise to not run off while I'm gone. Otherwise, I'll have to take you with me, and you should know that I can become very unpleasant after more than an hour or so on the road with a passenger." Lance wilted a little under Frank's stare.

"So what do you say: are you going to stay put?"

"I promise I'll stay," Lance said, chewing on his toast.

"Good," Frank said, rising to clear the table of his dishes. "Now my neighbor, Annie, she's going to stop by at some point to check on you. You'll be able to recognize her with those giant blond braids of hers. Just open the door when she comes by so that she can see that you haven't destroyed the place."

"Ok."

"Right then," Frank said. "Now, other than her visit, you stay put and keep the door closed. Don't open it for anyone else. Understand?"

"I understand," Lance said, his tone solemn.

"Good, we understand each other," Frank said, moving toward the front door. "Feel free to watch TV, and there are snacks in the cupboards. Help yourself." He started to walk out, but instead turned back to Lance.

"Oh, and see if you can formulate your masterful plan for your life while I'm gone. It'd love to hear it."

"Sure," Lance frowned at Frank's sarcasm.

"I'll be back ASAP," Frank chuckled. "I'll bring pizza." Lance watched him leave, and then plopped back down on the couch. He flipped on the TV, but it had nothing on but Christmas programming, and that reminded him too much of Christmases he had spent with David and Carolyn. He turned it off and sat back in the couch. In spite of his gloom, a thought occurred to him.

'_He didn't even ask me what kind of pizza I like.'_

_

* * *

_After reporting in, Frank found out that he would need to report back to one of the places on his route that was out of state.

"Some kind of police matter," his boss said. "I know it's a pain, but you need to go."

After calling home to let Lance know that he would be kind of late, Frank took to the highway. He had to break quite a few speed limits, but he managed to show up to his destination by early afternoon. It was a place for people to go sledding and tobogganing. Frank often delivered to the little café that was on the grounds.

"Hey Frank," one of the mangers said as he walked in. "The cops are in my office. Seems a kid went missing around here, and they are interviewing everyone who was there that day."

"Gotcha," Frank nodded and headed back to the office. He walked into it to see two men in suits sitting there. They identified themselves as Detectives Vance and Gerson. After introducing himself, Frank sat down in a folding chair across from them.

"Mr. Gallo, we're looking for a boy that has been missing for three days now," Vance said. "This was the last place he was seen. We think he may have snuck onto one of the trucks here."

"Well, I didn't see anyone get on my truck," Frank said.

"Are you sure?" Gerson asked, passing a photo over to him. "The boy's name is Lance Sweets and he's eleven."

'_Ok kid, you win as far as odd names go,'_ Frank thought to himself. He noticed that Lance was wearing some kind of uniform. _'Private school, huh? Poor kid.' _

"Is that his dad?" Frank asked, pointing at the man standing next to Lance with his arm around him. Gerson nodded.

"Yes it is, and you should know that this boy's parents are very worried about him. So if you know anything, you need to tell us." Frank was tempted but he remembered how determined Lance was to run._ 'Can't have him panicking and taking off, which he'll do if I show up with the police...'_

"Sorry, haven't met a Lance Sweets," Frank said. He looked again at the photo. The father was older than he expected, but he still looked like a vital, active, sharp man. _'You'd need all that to keep up with a kid like him,'_ Frank figured.

He answered a few more questions before they let him go. As he walked out, Frank thought again about the picture. He remembered how both Lance and the man they said was his father looked happy.

'_No, his father was more than happy,'_ he thought. _'He was at peace, content.'_

The sound of a woman's voice got his attention. He looked to see a petite woman with silver hair and grey-blue eyes talking to someone nearby.

"Excuse me," she said to a man, placing a hand on his arm and stopping him. "My name is Carolyn Sweets and my son, Lance, went missing here three days ago." She held up a picture of him to the man. Her hand shook a little as she held it. "He's only eleven years old. Please…if you know something…anything…"

"I…I'm sorry," the man sputtered. While watching this, Frank felt about two feet tall.

"Please," she said, tears in her eyes. "He's our only child. My husband, David…our son means everything to him. So if you know anything…"

"I'm sorry Mrs.…Sweets?...I wish I could tell you something but I can't," the man said, ducking his head and walking away.

"Thank you," she said as he walked away. She slowly moved over toward the chair where David was sitting and put her arm around him. Frank recognized him from the photo he had seen.

But this man looked quite different from the one on the picture. The man Frank assumed was named David, sat slumped in his chair. He looked exhausted and defeated. The emerald eyes that looked bright and intelligent in the picture were haunted and dim.

They were the eyes of a broken man.

Frank strode out of the place quickly and hopped into his car and left. As he sped along the highway, he ground his teeth.

He wasn't sure how to do it, but now he was determined to make Lance go home as soon as possible.


	33. Year Six, Growth, part 4

Author's Note: Next chapter. There will be one more, then I'll be starting Year Seven. I would like to warn everyone up front: Year Seven and and Year Nine will both be much darker in tone. More like Year Two. And there will be no Year Eight..... But I promise that I'll lighten up again soon with more fluff. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. It's just an errant wish of mine....

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: That is especially true depending on _who _is telling you that you're worthless. For pre-school children, their parents are their entire world. It would be hard for any child, no matter how bright they are, to overcome the confusion of a parent hating them for practically no reason at all....Thanks for your reviews.

**Stephaniew**: I think Lance needs a couple people in his life who are willing to not spare his feelings so much. ;) I'd imagine it'd be hard for David and Carolyn to be this direct with him knowing what they know about his life thus far. And Frank's a rather resourceful man....

**Cobalt6233**: Kind of like the curmudgeon uncle Lance never had. ;) I grew up around a couple of people like this myself, and yes I miss them too. Nice, spotting the bit with Gallo, but just so you'll know Frank's real first name (Francis) is an actor reference too....;)

**TimeWitch16**: No matter how clinical Sweets tried to make Christmas sound in Santa in The Slush, I think it's pretty clear he enjoys it. ;) And while I won't comment further, I can say that it's not unusual to worry about turning out like a really bad parent when you are a child....And thanks for the review :D

**Fear Herself**: The good news is that I will be updating soon and more often once on vacation. The bad news is that you will probably be depressed again in future chapters....But thanks for your review and advice anyway. :)

**TearsXsolitude**: Like I just mentioned to Stephaniew, Frank's a rather resourceful person who will say what needs to be said. Part of the reason I like him. ;)

**Just Another Ordinary**: Glad you've enjoyed thus far. Hope you'll enjoy future chapters. :D

Year Six—Growth—part 4

Lance had fallen asleep again on Frank's couch. It was nighttime now. He had made himself a sandwich at one point, but was more tired than hungry for some reason. He had spent the next few hours mindlessly flipping channels on the TV since Frank didn't have much in the way of books for him to read. Annie, the neighbor, had stopped by earlier.

'_Frank wasn't kidding about the braids,'_ he thought to himself.

After saying 'hi' to her, he felt very alone.

He tried to think about what he would do next, but was drawing a blank. Lance knew that he did _not_ want to be put back in foster care. But he had no other family who could care for him. Except Andrew. He shook in fear for a moment at that possibility. He was beginning to think that he would have to live on the streets. At least for a while.

'_Maybe I can test into a college in a couple years,'_ he thought. Eventually he fell asleep, the stress of the last couple of days wearing him down.

This was how Frank found him when he walked in the door. He sat the box that held a large pizza down on the kitchen table. He then went to wake up Lance.

"Hey…Sleeping Beauty, wake up. It's time to eat," Frank said, yanking the covers off of him. Lance sat up and nodded.

"Thank you," he mumbled and walked toward the table.

* * *

The two of them ate without speaking for a while. Lance was busy picking the green peppers off his pizza and arranging them in a pile before he would eat a slice.

"So," Frank said, taking a sip out of an open bottle of beer beside him. "Have you come up with a plan?" Lance shook his head.

"Sorry," he said. "I…I need a couple more days."

"I see," Frank nodded. He finished his slice of pizza and took a long drag from his beer, finishing it.

"Shall I tell you about my day? I spent all day driving to some place two states away where the cops were waiting to question me. Seems they were looking for a missing boy."

Lance looked up from his plate, panic in his eyes.

"No, I didn't tell them anything," Frank assured them. "I knew you'd run off if you thought I was bringing someone back here." Lance looked back down and pushed his discarded peppers into a neater pile on the edge of his plate.

"I saw someone else there besides the police," Frank continued. "Nice lady, real sad though. Scared. Said her name was Carolyn Sweets." Lance froze at the mention of his mother's name, and Frank noticed it.

"Poor woman looked like she was going to burst out into tears at any moment, but she was trying so hard to be brave. She said she was looking for her son." Frank leaned closer to Lance, who refused to look at him.

"She wasn't alone; her husband was there. I think she said his name was David. He didn't say anything, just sat in a chair, staring off into space." Frank watched as Lance began to tremble slightly.

"You want to know how he looked?" Frank said. "Devastated. Like his world was falling apart, and he was only keeping it together for his wife's sake." Lance backed his chair away from the table.

"Sound like anyone you know…Mister Lance Sweets?"

Lance jumped up and ran from the room. With a snarl, Frank followed him. He watched Lance run over to the couch and bury his face into the cushions, his back starting to shake. Frank moved to stand beside the couch.

"That's who you are, isn't it?" he said. "And those people are the ones who adopted you, aren't they?" Lance said nothing, just muffled a sob.

"They love you, can't you see that? Can't you see what it's doing to them, not knowing where you are?" Frank's voice grew angry. "For all they know, some sicko snatched you up, or worse, you're lying dead in a ditch somewhere. Do you have any idea what it does to a man when they don't know what's happened to their child?" Lance began to cry harder; his hands balling into fists.

"Especially at this time of year when all around them they see happy families celebrating together with parties and presents," he continued. "And what do they have? Endless hours sitting beside a phone or in a police station waiting to hear the words that no parent ever wants to hear: that they'll have to bury their child. Is that what you want for them?"

"I…I…" Lance finally sat up to face Frank. His eyes were wet and swollen and he had rivulets of tears running down his face that he didn't bother to brush away.

"I don't want to hurt them…I love them," Lance cried. "They're the only people who ever loved me. But I've hurt them so many times, and they've had to do so much for me. And now, I hit one of their own family, and I ran away." Lance began to gasp as his sobs became more intense.

"I'm just a rotten kid: bad and worthless. Just like my birth father said. All I do is make them miserable, and they…they don't deserve that…" Lance put his head into his hands and broke into incoherent sobs.

"Jesus, kid," Frank breathed. He sat down beside Lance and watched as he sobbed. "Your birth father…he really did a number on you, didn't he?" Lance didn't respond, just kept crying. Frank considered putting his hand on Lance's shoulder, but thought better of it. Instead, he just patted Lance's knee.

"Hey, hey, Lance…geez don't cry," he said, softening his tone. "Hey, I don't think you're a bad kid." Lance looked up at him, still not stopping his tears.

"I mean maybe you're a bit of a know-it-all and you sometimes do stuff without thinking it through, but you're not rotten."

"But…but," Lance said, shaking his head.

"Lance, I know parents can overlook a lot of things," Frank said. "But I saw how sad and scared your parents were. I don't think they could love you that much if you were as bad as you seem to think you are. Now granted, you've screwed up, big time, by running away like this. And I know that if I were your father, I'd ground you for a year." Lance's tears finally started to slow, and his breathing hitched as he tried to calm down.

Here's the thing though," Frank mused. "They're still your parents. And that means that a little piece of their hearts and souls are in you. So they can't really stop loving you 'cause you're a part of them." Frank sighed as he rubbed his temples.

"I think that if you were to go back home, you would see that while there may be consequences for what you did, it won't really matter. Because both you and your parents will remember how important you are to each other."

By this time, Lance had stopped crying and hung his head.

"I've been stupid. Stupid and selfish," he mumbled.

"I think your heart is in the right place," Frank said gently. "But you get so wrapped up in your own pain that you don't always see other people's pain. I know what happened to you makes it hard, but you will have to work on that. You just need to be more careful about other people's feelings is all."

The two of them sat there for a time; Frank waited for Lance to completely calm down.

"I want to go home," Lance said in a tiny voice.

"Ok kid," Frank said, a smile forming on his face. "We'll get some rest for a couple hours and then I'll drive you home. You'll be back home for Christmas Eve."

* * *

After another fruitless day of interviewing staff, Vance and Gerson sent the Sweets home with the assurance that they would keep working to find a lead.

Kate stopped by with her children to try to console them, and Carolyn spent the evening being comforted by them. Elizabeth sat and held Carolyn's hand the whole time. David had retreated to his study to be alone. Kate and the children asked for him repeatedly, but Carolyn stopped them.

"Please, he needs to be left alone," she told them. "He just can't handle too many people right now. David...he always feels that he has to take care of the people around him, and he doesn't have the strength right now."

After a couple more hours of visiting and support, they left, promising to spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with them.

"You shouldn't be left alone. Not on Christmas," Kate insisted.

"No Kate...Peter and Elizabeth...this will be not be any sort of Christmas for them..." Kate held up her hand.

"Carolyn, we understand...all too well...what it means to lose someone you love."

* * *

Carolyn went upstairs to the study after they left, and found David sitting at his desk. He was facing the window, and on the desk was an open bottle of scotch. As Carolyn walked over to him, he finished what was in the glass in his hand and sat it on the desk. He looked up at her.

"Carolyn....I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I...I haven't been taking care of you the way I should have, and I...." Carolyn stopped him by leaning down to kiss him. David stood up and put his arms around her, holding her close. The two of them moved to sit on the love seat together on the far side of the room, still holding each other.

"David, I love you," she said, beginning to rub his back. She sat silent for a couple minutes before continuing.

"When I was told that I couldn't have children, I remember feeling cheated," she said. "Here it was, I had managed to survive this illness, and yet the one thing that I had wanted more than anything had been taken away from me. I remember how I fell apart inside, thinking about all the children I could never have. About the son I could never give you." Carolyn laid her head on David's shoulder and held him tighter.

"Even though I know you were disappointed and hurting too, you took care of me. You were my strength that whole first year. Now...now we will have to take care of each other." She sat up and looked David in the eye.

"But David, we can't give up yet," she said. "Lance is a strong, smart child. We have to believe that he will make it back home."

"Carolyn...what if he doesn't want to come back?"

"Don't think that. He loves us. I know sometimes he doesn't quite understand why we love him, or he doesn't believe he deserves it, but I know that he would want to come home."

"And what if he can't?" David said his voice beginning to crack. "I don't know if I can face that." Carolyn embraced him tightly again.

"I know. I know that it would be painful, like a part of us had been taken away. But no matter what happens, we will face it together."

* * *

Frank had driven for a couple hours while Lance had stared out the window. After sleeping for a few hours, Lance put back on the outfit he was wearing when he ran off, and the two of them headed for Lance's home. Before leaving, Frank called both Boyd and Mick to let them know that he had found Lance's parents and that he was taking him back home.

By this point it was very early Christmas Eve morning. Frank had wrapped Lance up in one of his extra jackets so he wouldn't get cold. While he rode, Lance barely said a word. This was fine by Frank. Part of the reason he enjoyed his job was because he could have time to himself with his own thoughts.

"Why don't you spend time with your daughter?" Lance suddenly asked. Frank sighed.

"Just couldn't keep this a nice quiet trip could you?" he said. Lance nodded and turned to resume looking out the window. Frank gave another gust of air.

"All right, I'll tell you," he said. "Sarah... that's her name...Sarah and I could never agree on much. After I divorced her mother, we didn't see each other much either. Over time, I guess she grew to believe that she was doing well enough without me. And for a time, I believed that too." Frank sighed again.

"By the time I figured out that I was wrong, we weren't speaking to each other." He glanced over at Lance and gave him a wistful smile. "I still keep track of her, and we're on speaking terms again at least. But I know that it will be a long time, if ever, before we could be close again."

"I'm sorry, I know you miss her," Lance said. Frank shot him a glare, but Lance didn't notice. "All those pictures you have of her...it makes me think of my mom and dad. They have a lot of me too." Frank went back to staring intently on the road.

"It was the worst mistake I made in my life, letting her drift away from me," he said. "I just hope that one day, she'll understand that..." Frank stopped and laughed bitterly.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this. But you know what, kid? You're pretty easy to talk to, and you're not a bad listener when you take the time to shut your mouth."

Lance pouted and Frank laughed harder.

"Ah buck up, Lance. You need someone to keep you in line. Fact is though...I actually like you quite a bit."

"Really?" Lance said, surprised.

"Yeah, don't tell anyone," Frank grimaced. "I mean, I must like you. Why else would I drive through three states , on Christmas Eve no less, just to get you home."

"To get rid of me?" Frank looked over to see that Lance had a trace of a smirk on his lips.

"Smartass," Frank smirked back.

* * *

By noon, Carolyn had already been up for several hours, tidying the house. As she fiddled with the Christmas decorations, she had to fight the urge to tear them all down.

Vance and Gerson had called her earlier to tell her that they had no new leads. They called it 'updating'. Carolyn called it 'infuriating'.

_'Every time that phone rings, it could be the best possible news or the worst,' _she thought bitterly_. 'Stop working us up with these meaningless "updates".'_

She walked into the family room to stare at the Christmas tree. Underneath it was a huge stack of presents for Lance; David had ended up buying twice as many as he had originally planned. Carolyn felt sorrowful at the sight of them. She knew that David did not buy them to bribe or spoil Lance.

He did it because he was aching to find a way to tell Lance how much he loved him.

_'It just doesn't seem right, celebrating Christmas without our baby. He won't be here to open all his presents.'_ She shook her head; Carolyn knew that David loved to watch Lance's face as he opened his gifts. Sometimes she believed that he had made it his mission to make up for the first six years of Lance's life. Carolyn was sure that David had no illusions of being able to erase what had happened. But he seemed determined to make sure that Lance had the best possible childhood from now on.

Her heart ached again when she thought of David. Last night, she had held him while he finally broke down in front of her. It tore her apart to see her strong, caring husband so fragile. She sat down on the couch and held a picture of the three of them.

_'Please come back, baby. We need you so much.'_ Carolyn bowed her head to pray again.

_'Please God...I would give up every present under that tree...every present I've ever had just to be able to hold my son....To let David hold his son.'_

A moment later she heard the doorbell ring. She sat the picture down and wiped her eyes.

_'I wonder who that is. Kate wasn't supposed to show up until evening.'_


	34. Year Six, Growth, part 5

Author's Note: Ok, last chapter for Year Six. Next is Year Seven which will not be as long as this year was.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Wow, you'd think that would be established by now. ;)

As always thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch16**: I don't know if Sweets will ever completely learn to not be impulsive. ;) And yes, he's eleven, and will be twelve in Year Seven. As dark as Year Seven and Year Nine will be, there is also some of that interaction you're looking for. ;) And believe me, I'm flattered that you review as often as you do.

**Cwgirlup**: That's actually exactly what I was thinking. :D Sort of a "too good to be true" kind of thing after so much misery. And yes, a different perspective is just what Lance needed. ;)

**Ladykale1985**: Thank you again for all your reviews. And don't worry, I still have quite a long way to go...;)

**TearsXsolitude**: I don't think you'll be disappointed here. ;)

**Fear Herself**: Well, not a lot of Christmas, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. ;D

Year Six—Growth—part 5

Frank was finally able to track down the address Lance had given him for his home and had parked a short distance away from it. He looked over to see Lance fast asleep in the seat beside him.

'_Sheesh, you're killing me here, kid.'_ Frank looked at the place that Lance had given as his home address. _'Nice house, nice neighborhood,'_ he thought as he rubbed his eyes. The Sweets were definitely upper middle class. He looked over again at Lance's sleeping form. Frank figured that the fact that his parents had money was not the reason Lance was so attached to them. He then poked him in the arm.

"Hey, time to wake up," he said. Lance blinked his eyes open and yawned. When he sat up, he shivered a little from the cold, despite the jacket Frank had draped around him. He then started to stare at his home.

"Aren't you going to get out?"

"I'm scared," Lance said, timid.

"I thought you wanted to come home to these people," Frank said, incredulous. "Why are you scared?"

"What if they're mad at me? Or they don't want me back?" Lance asked.

Frank slapped his hand to his forehead; he was beginning to believe that Lance had the worst self-esteem he had ever seen in a child.

'_Whatever his birth father did to him, it must have been pretty bad. The kid is still trying to shake it.'_

"Look Lance, I'm not going to throw you out on your ear on Christmas Eve," Frank sighed. "I'll stick around for a bit, and if your parents really won't take you back, the two of us will work out something. Ok?" Lance swallowed hard, but nodded.

The two of them got out of the car and walked to the door. Lance was careful to stay behind Frank, and when they got to the door, he shuffled off to the side so he couldn't be seen when it was opened. Frank shook his head and rang the doorbell. After about a minute or so, Carolyn came to the door and opened it. Frank took off his cap and fidgeted with it in his hands.

"Ah…Mrs. Sweets?" he said. Carolyn nodded.

"Yes, can I help you?" she said in a quiet voice. Flustered, Frank moved a little to the side.

"I…I have someone here who wants to say something to you," he said. He looked over at Lance and gestured for him to move from behind the doorway. Lance hung his head and walked over so that Carolyn could see him.

"Mom," he mumbled, ashamed to look her in the eye. Carolyn staggered back a bit in shock, and immediately started to cry.

"Lance!" she cried, grabbing his arm and yanking him inside the house. She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you all right? Where have you been?" Carolyn kissed him and then pushed him back a little. "Let me look at you," she said, tears still running down her face while she looked him over. Frank had followed them inside and was pleased while watching the scene in front of him. He bent down picked up the jacket Lance had been wearing off the floor where it had fallen off.

"Mom, I'm sorry," Lance said, tears forming in his own eyes. Carolyn held him again.

"I'm just glad you're home, baby," she said between kisses to his cheeks. "I missed you so much. I was so worried about you." She stopped talking and simply enjoyed being able to hold her son, an experience she was beginning to believe she would never have again.

"I love you," she said. Lance hugged her back tightly.

"I love you too, Mom," he whispered. After another moment, Carolyn was able to stop crying and looked over at Frank.

"Thank you…I can't thank you enough for bringing him home," she said. Frank blushed and looked away.

"It's all right. I'm a parent myself," he said. "And uh…you know…" Carolyn nodded and looked back at Lance. She frowned when she saw that he was starting to weep.

"Lance, what's wrong?" she asked. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm ok, Mom," he said. "I…I did something really stupid." She began to brush the tears off his cheeks.

"What do you mean?" Carolyn said, growing concerned.

"Carolyn, who was at the door?"

Everyone turned to see David walking into the foyer. When he saw everyone there, he froze in place.

"Dad," Lance whispered, moving tentatively toward him. David gasped a little, still trying to take in the sight of his son.

"Dad?" Lance sniffled.

Suddenly David strode over to him, dropped down to his knees in front of Lance, and pulled him into a tight embrace. Soon, he began to cry.

"Please don't cry, Dad," Lance warbled while returning the embrace. David's hold on him was almost a bit painful, but Lance did nothing to resist it.

"I'm sorry, sport. I can't help it," David finally choked out. "I'm just so happy to see you. I love you so much." He held Lance a little closer yet.

"I love you too, Dad," Lance said tearfully. "And I'm sorry for what I did." David reached up to stroke Lance's hair.

"We'll talk about that later," he murmured. "I just want you to remember that I love you and that I always will no matter what. Forever and ever."

They stayed like that, silently holding each other, for a few moments. David was finally able to pull himself together as Carolyn walked over and touched his arm.

"David, this man brought Lance home," she said, gesturing toward Frank. David got up and walked over to him, still keeping his arm around Lance.

"Thank you Mister…"

"Gallo. Frank Gallo," he said roughly. He had been moved to tears a little himself by the reunion.

"Mr. Gallo, we owe you everything for bringing our son home," David said, trying to maintain control. "If there is anything…anything at all, just name it…"

"It's ok, Mr. Sweets…I," Frank shuffled a little. "Well, geez, I'm just glad that the kid's all right, and he's back where he belongs. I mean it's Christmas Eve and all; he should be with his family. He…he's a special kid."

"Yes he is," Carolyn smiled, reaching to put her arm around Lance's other shoulder.

"Well, ah…I gotta get going. I've got a long drive, and I want to be home by Christmas," Frank said heading for the door. Take care of yourself, Lance."

"Wait Frank," Lance said, rushing over to him. Frank paused with his hand on the door knob. Lance hesitated for a second and then reached over and gave him a quick hug.

"Ok, ok. What's all this?" Frank said as he stiffened in Lance's arms. Lance let go of him and looked up into his eyes. While Frank had acted uncomfortable with the hug, his eyes showed how happy he was.

"Frank, you should talk to your daughter," Lance said, his tone serious. "I think she needs you. You…you're a good father." Frank smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks kid," he said. "I'll think about it." He then leaned close so that he could whisper in Lance's ear.

"You have a good life here. Don't screw it up." Lance nodded and Frank stood back up and started to walk out the door.

"Merry Christmas," he said as he left. David and Carolyn followed him as far as the doorway.

"Thank you again," they both said. After they watched Frank drive off, David and Carolyn turned to Lance. They knelt down in front of him and pulled him close to embrace him again.

"We're so glad you're home, baby," Carolyn said. "Don't ever leave us again."

"Mom, I…"

"Oh, and by the way, you're grounded," Carolyn said gently. She then kissed him.

"But don't worry; your punishment doesn't start until after Christmas," she said. David was secretly glad she did that; he wasn't sure if he had the heart to punish Lance right now. He was just happy that his son was home, safe and whole.

David and Carolyn stood up and began to guide Lance into the family room.

"Now, how about you tell us what happened," David said.

* * *

Christmas the next day was a joyful one. Lance had been amazed at the number of gifts that he found under the tree. David couldn't stop grinning as he watched him open up all of his presents. He and Carolyn enjoyed the gifts they received but both of them felt that they didn't compare to being able to spend Christmas with their son.

Kate, Peter and Elizabeth were happy to see Lance too. The day before, Carolyn spent some time alone with Lance, while David sat down with the three of them to give a brief summary of Lance's history and to explain their relationship with their son. It had saddened them somewhat, but they seemed to understand it.

After opening presents and enjoying a large breakfast, Lance was sitting in the family room again, looking over his new toys, when Peter walked in. There was a tense silence between them until Lance spoke.

"I'm really sorry that I hit you," he said. "I shouldn't have done that." Peter looked down and away.

"It's ok, I shouldn't have said that stuff to you," he mumbled. "I…I was jealous."

"Why?" Lance asked, flabbergasted. Peter didn't take his eyes from the carpet.

"I mean, look at you….you're eleven years old, but you're practically in the same grade as me. You're some kind of whiz kid. I could never be like that." Peter gulped and sniffed a little.

"Uncle David…he loves you so much…he really is your dad. He…he reminds me of my dad." Lance got up from the floor and walked over to him, his eyes somber. After a second of standing there, Lance reached over and hugged Peter.

"I'm sorry. I know you really miss him 'cause if my dad were gone…I don't know what I'd do."

"Cut it out," Peter said, tears in his voice. However, he did not make Lance stop hugging him. In fact, he hugged him back, letting himself cry a little for the first time in a while since his father's death. After another moment, he pushed Lance away and wiped the tears off his face.

"Hey, you think we can try out that new video game, Uncle David got you for Christmas?" he smiled.

"Sure," Lance grinned back. "And you know, if you need any help with your homework, I could…"

"Don't push it," Peter frowned. But he quickly began to smile again and the two of them sat down for an afternoon of friendly competition.

* * *

In the evening, Carolyn walked into the family room to find David sitting there alone, watching the Christmas tree. She sat down beside him and put her arms around him.

"Carolyn, Lance ran away because he thought we wouldn't love him anymore," he finally said solemnly. "What am I doing wrong? Why can't I convince him that we love him?"

"David, I just think he feels that he doesn't deserve it; it's nothing you're doing wrong. That man…that man who claimed to be his father…he hurt Lance so much that he's still learning to let people love him." Carolyn leaned over to kiss him.

"I don't think he doubts that you love him," she said. David nodded and rubbed his eyes.

"Dad?"

The Sweets looked up to see Lance walking in to join them. He sat down between them and reached over to put his arms around David.

"I'm sorry Dad. I'm sorry for running away," he said. "I…I just didn't want to hurt you…like Andrew hurt me." David pulled Lance back so that he could look him in the face.

"Lance, you are nothing like Andrew," he insisted. "Don't even think that for a moment. He never had your mind, your courage, your ability to love. You are so much more than he is."

"I just want to be normal," Lance sniffed. "To be family, like Aunt Kate and her children are." Carolyn reached over to hold his hand.

"Just because I didn't give birth to you doesn't mean you're not family, baby," she said. "Family is simply the people you hold closest to your heart. They're the ones who love you with the whole of their hearts." David made Lance look at him again, his green eyes bright and intense.

"If you remember nothing else, remember this, sport: your mother and I love you with every part of our hearts. You are Lance David Sweets, our son. And nothing will ever change that."


	35. Year Seven, Confrontation, part 1

Author's Note: Well here is the first chapter of Year Seven. Like I mentioned before, this year will be shorter than Year Six. And sorry about the slow updates overall, but bear with me. In the past week, I've traveled about 1000 miles, taken 3 finals, and written 2 papers. Hopefully my life will be calmer now. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. *sigh*

Thank you, as always, to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Stephaniew**: The concept of family being less about blood than love is a theme that I've tried to have as a thread throughout this story. If you think about it, family has never been about biology for Sweets, then or now. Glad you enjoyed. ;)

**Cwgirlup**: Thank you again for all your kind reviews. :D I kind of picture Peter as having the potential to turn out like David, but his growth has been disrupted with the loss of his father. You'll be hearing from him again....And yes, Year Seven will be darker in tone as you will soon see...

**TimeWitch16**:The Sweets will continue to grow to understand him over time, but I think that Lance is simply a complex personality, and it doesn't help that he's reluctant to talk about himself. Thanks again for your continued reviews. :)

**Cobalt6233**: Yeah, I'll miss writing for Frank, because as it stands now, he won't appear again in this story. But he was one of my favorite side characters next to Doctor Murray (who you will see in this chapter). As for what's next for Sweets, read on....;)

**Fear Herself**: When I wrote that line with her grounding Lance in my first draft, I knew I'd be keeping it because it just seemed so much like how Carolyn is: very emotional and loving, but still the mother who keeps things in order. ;) And sorry for the slow speed of my current updates, I'm hoping to get a lot more posted this weekend.

**TearsXsolitude**: Well I'm glad you weren't disappointed. ;) Enjoy Year Seven.

Year Seven—Confrontation—part 1

Doctor Murray looked over his files and notes on his sessions for the past couple of months with Lance and frowned. There had been several things that had been bothering him for a while now.

Lance was twelve years old, but was already a sophomore in high school. While part of the day was spent in a special class for other gifted children close to his age, he spent most of his time in classes with teenagers who were going through the curriculum at a regular pace. Murray knew that he was starting to be put under more pressure academically and was already having to think about long range college and career plans. When he added in the fact that Lance was no longer able to spend time with children his own age for most of the day, the psychiatrist could see that Lance was being forced to grow up faster than normal.

But in some ways, it seemed like Lance did not want to grow up at all. Even though he was approaching his teens, and would be graduating in couple years, Lance did not seem to be looking forward to an increase in independence. He had still never given any indication of a possible career that he would be interested in or even a field of study that he wanted to pursue in college.

Murray sighed. He also knew that Lance was suffering some on a social level as well. While he now had a couple of friends that he associated with on a regular basis, he still did not socialize outside his home much. What made this even worse was the fact that he had started to distance himself a little from David and Carolyn. It wouldn't have bothered Murray if Lance was starting to spend more time with his friends, but the fact that he wasn't meant that Lance was spending that extra time alone.

There were other things. Things that over the years, the psychiatrist had wondered about. It was not anything that Lance said directly, but looking through his notes over the years, Murray started to get a rather horrifying image in his mind.

There was something about Lance's past, something that he had never shared with anyone. Murray was convinced that not only was it eating away at Lance to this day, but it was more than likely at the root of his current issues. He knew that he would need to get to the bottom of this, but it would not be easy.

Murray also knew that he would need some help, and for that, there was only one person he could think of.

* * *

"So, tell me Doctor Murray, why did you want to see me today?" David said, leaning back in his chair. The psychiatrist looked over at him and took a deep breath. At fifty-eight years old, David Stephen Sweets looked like a man at least five years younger than he actually was. His hair was completely silver now, and lines had formed around his eyes. But he still looked vital and active, and his bright green eyes still shone with intensity and intelligence. Murray knew that David's mind was also as quick as ever, so he knew that he had to be careful in how he approached talking to him.

"David, I'm concerned about Lance," he said. "While I think he's getting better at handling things overall, there are certain issues that he isn't making the kind of progress in that he needs to."

"Like what?"

"Lance is being placed into an increasingly adult world due to his intellect," the psychiatrist said. "It's important that he makes the necessary adjustments so he can learn to handle the pressures that he will be placed under."

"There's something in particular you want to do, isn't there? Something that you feel you are going to need my permission for?" David sighed. Murray shook his head: whether it was Lance or David, it didn't matter; there was no way to hide things from the Sweets.

"David, I want to force Lance to talk about the night Andrew whipped him." David looked down to the floor and was silent for a minute.

"I see," he finally said. "Why?"

"Because there are some things…I'd rather not speak them out loud because it's no good to speculate…but there are things that Lance has indirectly hinted at that I'm convinced are affecting him to this day."

"His biological father tried to murder him," David snapped. "That would haunt anyone."

"I agree," Murray nodded. "But there's something else there, I'm sure of it. And he needs to get this out of him so that he can heal and move on." David narrowed his eyes at him.

"This isn't just about getting my permission for something isn't it?" he said. Murray shook his head.

"David…what I'm asking…I need you to understand that if I do this, Lance is going to be angry and terrified at the same time. And that's if he goes into this willingly." Murray leaned closer to David.

"You're his father, and he trusts you implicitly. I will need you here to help me convince him to do this. And then I will need you to be there for him while he tells me everything." David nodded and sighed, looking down at the floor again.

"David, I know I'm asking a lot from you," the psychiatrist said. "And I can tell you that that session with Lance will be…unpleasant to say the very least. But Lance needs to confront his past in order to move on, and he will need you there to give him security and support during this process."

The two of them were quiet while David mulled over Murray's proposal in his mind. After several minutes, David met his stare again; his emerald eyes set and determined.

"All right, I will help you," he said. "I just need you to be sure that you know what you are doing." Looking into his eyes, Murray had to fight the urge to flinch under David's intense gaze. Instead, he met him with a determined look of his own.

"I'm sure, David. Unquestionably so."

* * *

That night, David waited until they were in bed to talk to Carolyn about his discussion with Doctor Murray. After he told her everything they talked about and what Murray wanted to do, she nodded, but also looked upset.

"David, are you sure?" she asked. "Are you sure you should do this? I mean, I know that deep down, Lance is still hurting. But talking about that night…." Carolyn shook her head.

"I just keeping thinking about those scars, all the nightmares he had, and that horrible day in court during the adoption hearing…I'm scared of what talking about it will do to our baby."

"I know, Carolyn," David sighed. "I know that Murray wants me there for that reason, and to be honest, I don't know if I even want to be there for all that myself. But I also know that he's right and that we need to get to the root of what is causing our son so much pain." He reached over and held Carolyn close to him.

"I just hope I'm strong enough for this," he murmured sadly. Carolyn kissed his cheek.

"I know you are," she said. "You're the strongest man I have ever met, and no father could love his son as much as you love Lance. I'm sure that you will give him the strength he needs to face this."

* * *

The next couple of weeks before Lance's upcoming session passed by without incident. Murray called David the day before his scheduled visit to let him know that he had cleared out his appointments so that they could take all evening if needed. David took the day off work so that he could take Lance to his usual session instead of Carolyn.

While driving over to Murray's office, Lance remained silent and stared out the window as he rode in the car. David knew that Lance was suspicious that something was going on, but thus far, he said nothing about it. He kept glancing over at his son.

Lance had finally entered a growth spurt and was now as tall as Carolyn. They had let his hair grow out a little, and it had become a mop of dark brown waves. He was dressed in his now standard attire of a long sleeved black tee shirt and jeans; the only variation David ever saw in that outfit these days was when Lance wore another short-sleeved tee shirt over his black one.

But Lance had changed in more than his appearance over the last year. He had also become more quiet and distant. He still seemed to enjoy school, at least the academic side of it, and he still enjoyed hanging out with his friends, watching movies, and playing video games. But he was also less animated at home than he used to be and was spending more time alone in his room. He was still congenial and social with him and Carolyn, but the heart-to-heart discussions that they used to share were becoming less frequent.

This saddened David some. While he knew that Lance would be getting older and moving on in his life, he knew that he would miss the close bond the two of them shared as Lance grew away from him.

They eventually arrived at Murray's office and David came in with Lance. After waiting for a couple of minutes in the reception area, Murray came out to welcome them into his office.

"Hello Lance, David," he said. "Come on in." Lance nodded and walked in. David waited until Lance and Murray were all the way into the office before following them in and shutting the door behind him. He then stood in front of it. Lance swiftly swiveled his head back and forth between Murray and his father.

"What's going on?" Lance said while narrowing his eyes.

"Lance this session is going to be different," Murray said, settling into his chair. "Your father is going to join us this time, and we will probably be spending more time here today than usual."

"Why?" Lance said his voice growing dark. The psychiatrist took a deep breath and met Lance's glare directly.

"I want to talk to you today about the night Andrew whipped you."

At those words, Lance immediately headed for the door, but found it blocked by David. Seeing the look in his eyes, Lance knew that David wouldn't move. So instead he turned his gaze toward his therapist.

"You told me on the very first day that you wouldn't make me talk about anything that I didn't want to," he seethed.

"I did say that," Murray nodded. "And if you remember correctly, I also said that there would be times that our sessions would be uncomfortable for you in the pursuit of helping you get better. Now, I've let you dodge this issue for a long time in the hopes that you would eventually see the need to go over this voluntarily. But it's become obvious to me that you have no intention of doing so, thus the need for this special session."

Lance sat down on the couch.

"Why is Dad here?" he mumbled.

"He's here to support you through this process," Murray said. "I know this will be very difficult for you and I don't want to go through it without someone here to take care of you." David sat down next to Lance and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Listen sport, I know this is scary and upsetting for you, but you need to confront this," he said. "Your mother and I…no matter what you tell us, our feelings about you will not change." Lance suddenly got a faraway look in his eye as Andrew's voice filled his mind.

'_If they found out the truth about you…about that night…they'd be so repulsed they'd never want you.'_

Lance leapt to his feet and began to pace, shaking slightly.

"No…I can't talk about it…I can't," he said.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Murray said. "This will be a hard and painful thing to do. But Lance, you have a remarkable mind and soul, and I'd like to see you be free of what was done to you."

Lance sat back down on the couch as far as he could from David and pulled his knees toward his chest.

"No…I can't…not with Dad," he said, burying his face against his knees. David moved closer to him and put his arm around him. He hated how Lance stiffened at the touch.

"Lance, if you don't want me here for this, I understand," he said. "If it takes me walking out that door to make you talk, I'll do it. But please don't push me away because you're afraid of how I'll react to what you say. You're my son, and I love you no matter what." He watched as Lance began to breathe harder, struggling to not cry.

"It's all right to be scared, sport."

His father's gentle tone was all that was needed to break the dam that held Lance's emotions. He turned to David and let him embrace him, pressing his face against David's shoulder. David could feel Lance trembling in his arms, and his shirt growing wet from tears. He sat there and held him quietly while he waited for Lance's fear to pass.

After a while, Lance lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. He turned to face Murray, but still leaned back against his father's chest.

"We can take as long as you need, Lance," the psychiatrist said. "I have no other appointments after you. So we can take this at your pace." Lance gulped.

"If…if I do this, I only want to do it once," he said. "And I…I don't want to tell Mom." Murray nodded.

"We only have to do it once," he said. "As far as not telling your mother, that is your decision, but I think that you should at least consider letting your father have a talk with her at some point."

"No!" Lance insisted. "I…not now…not for a while…please." David put his arms back around Lance, securing him physically and mentally.

"All right sport," he said. "I'll wait until you tell me that it's ok to tell her." Murray got up and poured Lance a glass of ice water from a pitcher on his desk and sat it on the stand next to the couch. He then pulled up a chair close to where David and Lance were sitting and waited. After sniffling a little more and taking a couple deep breaths, Lance looked over to Murray.

"All right," he whispered. "I'll tell you."


	36. Year Seven, Confrontation, part 2

Author's Note: Ok, I know yesterday was a bit of a cliffhanger, but as promised here's the next chapter. Let me say this though: it is very dark and intense, and should be regarded with the highest possible T rating.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: To be honest, I think it will be about equally hard...just for different reasons for each of them.

**Ladykale1985**: I'm glad you liked the last chapter, but...you're probably right about this one....

**TimeWitch16**: I think the next section of this year will have some of what you're looking for. But yes...this is something that needed to come out. The question is: how will Lance decide to handle it?.....Oh and again, thank you for all your reviews.

**Elipeel**: First off, let me thank you for the compliment. I was wanting to do more of a back story on Sweets, so this is a project that means a lot to me and I'm thrilled that people are enjoying it. Second, I think that the reason he gave in is because: A. He does trust David quite a bit. B. As much as might not want to do it, I think he is self-aware enough to know that he needs to do it. That close relationship is why I think Sweets was able to overcome his past and care about others so much.

**Fear Herself**: Yeah, I can't believe how tired I was once classes were over. I just needed a break, but I'm hoping to get more stuff out there. And I'll be updating TTotT today as well.

**TearsXsolitude**: Sorry, sorry. I know the cliffhanger thing got to a lot of people. I just didn't want to put all this into one chapter. I think you'll understand why after reading it....

**Cobalt6233**: This story was something that was in my head for a couple months before I started writing it, and then I wrote over a hundred pages of it out before I joined . And you're right: this chapter was very hard to write. Only Year Two's Confirmation chapters were nearly this intense for me.

**Not an infant**: Hopefully the chapter is worth the wait....

Warning: Descriptions of child abuse.

Year Seven—Confrontation—part 2

Lance reached over and took the class of ice water off the stand and drank it down. Even though his hand trembled a little while he held the class, he was grateful for the cool water to help his suddenly parched mouth. After finishing it he sat it down and stared into his lap. He felt David wrap his arms back around him, and Lance leaned back against him again. After another moment, he began to speak.

"Andrew…he was actually in a pretty good mood that day early on," he said. "Someone had promised him some money for some favor he did a long time ago, and that morning he was finally able to collect. He…he was looking forward to going out and celebrating at the bar all day. Of course, there was just one problem: me." Lance stopped and sniffled. Murray handed him a tissue, and Lance accepted it, but did not use it. Just twisted it around in his fingers.

"I had gotten sick the day before and was staying home from school," he said. "Andrew was meeting his latest girlfriend at the bar, so she couldn't watch me. Instead he got our neighbor, Roy, to look after me for a few hours while he was gone." Lance let out a laugh with absolutely no humor in it.

"Kind of funny isn't it? I mean, Andrew didn't really care, but he always left me with a babysitter. Guess he thought I'd tear up the house or something otherwise. Even on that day, when I was so sick, I could barely move." He shook his head before continuing.

"I didn't mind being left with Roy. He had always been nice to us. To me. He'd let me watch TV and would fix me warm meals. Sometimes…sometimes I even wished that he was my dad instead of Andrew." Suddenly, he began to tear the tissue he was holding into pieces. Murray noticed that Lance didn't even seem to be aware of what he was doing.

"I was so sick that day that I just wanted to lie on the couch and watch TV. Roy let me do that for a while. Then he gave me this medicine…it wasn't like the stuff that Andrew's girlfriends gave me…it was so strong and bitter, it made me gag while I was drinking it. After a little while, I began to feel so sleepy and fuzzy. Roy picked me up off the couch and carried me into Andrew's room. He then put me on the bed and placed some blankets over me so I could rest." Lance finally looked up at Murray, his eyes already wet again.

"Andrew, you know he would have never bothered to take care of me that way. He would have just yelled at me to go to my room and leave him alone. It…it was so nice to have some be kind to me for a change." David noticed that Lance's breathing was beginning to speed up some and gave him a firm squeeze.

"It's all right, sport," he murmured. "You're safe now. Relax." Lance nodded and stopped while he worked to control his breathing. Once he seemed calmer, he started again.

"I rested for a little while…I don't know how long…but then Roy came back into the room and sat down on the bed next to me. He…he kept staring at me and he told me that he was going to make me feel…good."

Lance swallowed hard and started to tremble again. David began to feel nauseated at the direction the conversation was going. Anger began to creep into his heart.

"He…he took my pajamas off," Lance whispered. "I asked him not to because I was cold, and I tried to push him away. But I was so weak and sleepy that I couldn't stop him. Then he started…touching me."

With that Lance burst into tears again, and David turned him around so that he could hold him close to his chest. While listening to Lance's sobs, a thousand angry thoughts ran through his mind.

He thought about how afraid Lance had been of men when he first met him, how he was even afraid of him. How it took months before Lance stopped flinching when he touched him. How angry Lance became when someone touched him without permission. David had always thought it was just because of how Andrew had treated him. The truth was even worse, if that was possible.

'_The one man who was ever kind to him took advantage of him. Of a five year old child. What kind of person leaves their child with a monster like that….What am I thinking, Andrew was just another kind of monster….'_

As he listened to his son cry, the rage continued to build inside him. The only thing that helped him control it was the knowledge that Lance needed him now.

"I told him that I didn't like it and begged him to stop," Lance said, his voice muffled by David's shoulder. "But he wouldn't…he…he just kept shushing me and saying that I would like it….I was so cold and scared, and I just wanted it to stop…" David rocked him slightly, desperate to comfort Lance somehow. Lance responded by clinging even tighter to him.

After a few more minutes of sobbing, Lance finally got a hold of himself and turned back toward Murray again. David picked up another tissue for Lance, which he used this time. Murray looked to see that the one Lance was holding before had been torn into tiny pieces. He also saw the anger in David's eyes.

"I'm pretty sure that he would have done more than just touching, but by then Andrew came home and had walked into the bedroom," Lance choked. "He was furious, yelling and screaming. He chased Roy out of the room, and I could hear the two of them fighting in the other room. I hid under the blankets. I was shivering partially because I was just in my underwear so I was cold and partially because I was so scared. I had never seen Andrew like that before."

David began to grind his teeth. He was angry just listening to this, but he also imagined that Andrew was not angry for the same reasons that he was right now.

"Eventually, Andrew came back into the bedroom. He yanked the blankets off me and began screaming at me. He…he kept saying that I was sick…a freak…that I must have wanted Roy to do that and had probably been asking for it…" Lance turned toward David, tears streaming down his face.

"I didn't want it Dad," he sobbed. "I didn't…I tried to tell him…" David put his hands onto the sides of Lance's face and made him look him in the eye.

"Of course you didn't want that," he said, his voice gentle but insistent. "You were only five years old. That…that...person was the one who was sick, not you."

"Lance, what Roy did to you was abuse, pure and simple," Murray added quietly. "You didn't want that any more than you wanted Andrew to yell at you or hit you."

"But…but…he had always been so nice to me, and I told him that I liked him," Lance cried. "I must have said something…did something…to make him think…"

"No!" David said his voice enraged and sorrowful at the same time. "Listen to me: you were a child. It was not your fault. He was a sick monster taking advantage of a scared little boy."

Even in the haze of his own tears, Lance could see the ones forming in his father's eyes.

"I'm sorry Dad," he choked. David embraced him tightly again.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he murmured. "Nothing at all." There was silence for a few more minutes. Eventually, Lance let go of David and turned to sit and stare at the floor again. David kept his arms around him, and Lance seemed grateful for the gesture.

"Andrew said that he would kill me before he'd let me do things like that," Lance whispered. "He went and pulled out this leather strap out of a drawer. He then grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me face down into the bed. He…he sat on me to pin me down. I kept begging him…pleading with him to let me go…" Lance began to shake and David squeezed him again.

"It's all right," David said into his ear. "I've got you now. I won't let anything happen to you." Lance nodded and swallowed hard.

"The first time he hit me…it hurt so much, I didn't think anything could hurt that much…but then he kept hitting me…over and over…I'm pretty sure that I was screaming, but that just seemed to make him hit harder...soon I…I must have passed out..." Lance rubbed his eyes and sniffed hard.

"When I woke up, I was in the closet again. My back…it felt like he was still hitting me…I thought he was…I kept hearing his voice…I…I was hurting so much and my fever…I could barely tell what was real anymore…I just wanted to go back to sleep…and never wake up again." Lance had balled his hands into fists and started to beat them against his legs, but David took Lance's hands into his and gently but firmly held him still. Lance struggled for only a moment, and then became rigid.

"Don't," David said softly. "Don't hurt yourself anymore." Lance relaxed his hands and started to become limp in David's arms; the intense emotions he was feeling had begun to take their toll. When he saw Lance having some sort of reaction, David lowered him to lie down on the couch. He was scared to see his son's wide, fearful eyes. He held Lance's hand and reached up to stroke his hair.

"It's all right, sport," he soothed. "It's over now. You don't have to say anymore. You never have to talk about this ever again, if you don't want to."

"Sometimes…sometimes, I think that Andrew…that he'll get me and hurt me again," Lance whispered. "You all tell me that I'm being brave…but I'm just scared."

"Being brave does not mean you're not scared," David said. "Being brave is your not letting those monsters destroy you." He gripped Lance's hand a little tighter, and finally began to weep.

"Every day I wonder how you find the courage to move forward," he said. "Most people…if even half of what happened to you happened to them…they'd just curl up and never let life in again. But you…you let people into your heart. You care about them. That makes you the bravest person I ever met." David sniffled and brushed at the tears in his eyes.

"Dad…don't cry," Lance said, tearing up again. "I'm sorry…"

"David, I think you should tell Lance what you are feeling right now," Murray said. David took a deep breath and didn't shift his gaze from Lance.

"I…I'm angry. Angry at what that man did to you. Angry that Andrew didn't protect you and take care of you. Angry that…" David choked a bit and sniffed. "That someone tried to take my son away before I even got the chance to know him. And I…I'd give anything to be able to take that pain away from you." Murray moved closer to the couch, and Lance looked over at him.

"Lance, your father is not angry with you, or repelled in some way by what happened to you," the psychiatrist said solemnly. "Despite what Andrew may have told you, you did nothing wrong." He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing.

"Now, I know this was difficult for you, but I need to know if you understand why I made you do it," Murray said.

"You…you said I had to face it…" Lance mumbled.

"Correct," Murray nodded. "You needed to see that what happened was not your fault, and that it does not make you any less of a person or any less precious to your parents." He leaned closer to Lance, who had sat up and was leaning against David again.

"You are not damaged goods," Murray said. "And David and Carolyn did not adopt you because they felt sorry for you." David shuddered at those words and tapped Lance's arm so he would look at him.

"Is that what you thought?" he said, saddened. "Did you think that if we knew what all had happened that we wouldn't love you? That we only saw you as some sort of charity case?" Lance hung his head and sniffled. David began to feel his heart ache when he realized that, with his silence, Lance had answered his questions. David reached over and lifted Lance's chin so that he would look him in the eye.

"The first day I met you; do you know what I saw? I saw a boy who had been kind to my wife, even though she was a stranger to him. I saw a boy who was so smart that he could figure things out at a much earlier age than most. But most of all, I saw a boy with a strong, generous heart, who just needed someone to see it, and love him back." David moved to rub Lance's shoulders.

"Now you tell me, doesn't that sound like a son that you would want in your life?" David asked. Lance looked like he would cry again, but not from fear or sorrow this time.

"Your mother and I adopted you because we needed you in our lives. And we have never regretted it. Not once. And nothing that happened to you in the past or that might at any point in the future could make us love you any less."

Murray was happy to see how David's words had led to a warm, content look in Lance's eyes. Lance then leaned over and hugged David again. But this time it was a strong, loving gesture instead of a scared, sorrowful one.

"I love you, Dad," he said. "I…thank you." David patted his back a couple times while he held him.

"I love you too, sport." The two of them sniffed a couple more times, but eventually they let each other go, and sat up. They both looked worn down by the ordeal, but now David and Lance also seemed at peace.

"Lance, you are coming to a crossroads," Murray said. "Soon you will be making decisions that will affect the rest of your life. Now that you have faced this, you will need to make another decision." Murray's expression became intense.

"It's time to for you to decide Lance: are you going to succumb to your past or are you going to conquer it?"


	37. Year Seven, Direction, part 1

Author's Note: After the intensity of the previous two chapters, the next couple will be rather...reflective....

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Sad but true. ;P

Thank you as always to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch16**: I think you'll like this chapter for reasons that will become apparent after reading it. ;) And again thank you so much for recommending me to your readers and for your frequent reviews. Both are greatly appreciated. :D

**LadyKale1985**: Thank you. And once again...we've got a long way to go yet...;)

**TearsXsolitude**: I figured that you'd see that. While typing those last two chapters up, I decided that it would be for the best to split them. It just would have been too intense otherwise. And thanks again for the review. :)

**Cwgirlup**: I thought that a lot of people would probably figure it out earlier because of the clues I had left in other chapters. But still, I'm kind of glad that I could surprise you....To me it all goes to the root of Sweets self-esteem issues and tendency for self-blame: "horrible things happened to me from people who were supposed to be nice, so it must be my fault." We'll have to see where he goes from here....

**Stephaniew**: Even though I've studied about and even wrote papers on these kinds of subjects, yeah, they are rather...intense to write about. Thank you for all your reviews. :D

**The Vulcan princess**: Welcome aboard! :D Thank you for your compliments, and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story....

**Cobalt6233**: It can be a hard habit to unlearn: blaming yourself all the time. Plus, I hate to say it, but it seems like a tinge of that darkness haunts Sweets to this day...thus his current obsessions...

**Iconcurvehemently**: And welcome to you as well. Thank you for all your kind reviews recently. And yes, guilty as charged about the psych thing. ;) I like to get into the heads of characters and I think it shows in my work. I hope you enjoy future chapters and projects from me. :D

**DukeFan1982**: I can relate: I just finished my semester and then I've got the summer semester as well in a couple of weeks. As for Sweets getting better...well there may be some bumps along the way.....

Year Seven—Direction—part 1

On a clear fall day, Lance Sweets sat on a tree branch near the top of a tree in his parents' yard. After his fall, he was very wary of trees for a while. But a few months ago, he started climbing the one in his front yard every so often. He found it strangely invigorating to face his fear and climb as high as he could. Soon, the tree top became his favorite place to go when he needed to think, away from the watchful eyes of his parents.

These days, he had a lot to think about.

It had been about three months since he had confronted his past with his father and Doctor Murray, and he was still processing the revelations he had had that evening. He remembered how after the session was over, David had taken him to an all-night diner and the two of them shared a meal together, mostly in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, just a chance to quietly bond and think things through. Afterwards, they ended up sitting together in the family room all night: Lance leaning against David, who had his arm around him. That was how Carolyn found them the next morning, fast asleep.

Lance shivered a little. He had had more nightmares after that night, but still…he was grateful to his father for being there for him the way he had.

Murray had upped the number of sessions after that evening for a while back to once a week. But recently, there was talk of ending therapy altogether in a few months.

'_Lance, you've made tremendous progress over the years that I've been treating you. I think you're ready to handle things on your own.'_

Murray seemed confident, and Lance liked to think that he was better, but something still nagged at him. Something that he couldn't quite name. But he didn't bring it up because he wasn't sure if it was anything that could really be fixed in therapy.

'_There's some things…some things I'll never shake…no matter how much I go over them,' _he thought grimly.

There was school to think about too. Dean Fry had been questioning him a lot recently about what kinds of majors he wanted to consider when he was ready for college. Lance knew it was on a lot of people's minds, but to be honest, he hadn't thought much about it. He had spent a lot of time trying to deal with his past and wanted to enjoy having a real childhood with David and Carolyn. After all, it had really only been in the last year or so that he stopped worrying that his life with them would be yanked away from him for whatever reason. Now, he had people asking him how he planned to build a life without them.

Lance sighed. His classmates tended to be ambitious and competitive about their future careers, but for years he had simply enjoyed the process of learning. And besides, no career seemed to feel like the right thing for him or would even hold his interest very much.

Then there was his social life. Well, at least the social life he tried to have.

He still had his friend Matt, who he got along with even though he could be strangely clingy at times. While taking some high school classes, he recently made a new friend, Brian Geras. Brian was two years older than Lance and was a freshman in high school. He was smart, just not at Lance's level of intelligence. But the two of them shared a love for sci-fi films, comic books and video games. Plus, they were both social outcasts, so they quickly bonded. During the school day, Lance usually didn't see much of Matt or Brian because of the special classes he took, but they hung out after school, particularly on weekends, when they would take turns going to each others' houses. There they would spend the day playing video games and discussing, mostly complaining, about their days in school.

One thing Lance didn't discuss with Matt and Brian was something else that occupied his mind a lot lately: Sarah Brigham. Sarah was sixteen, blond and…endowed. She also sat in front of Lance in his biology class, and there was many a lecture that he just couldn't keep his focus on as a result. She seemed to have everything, beauty, friends, and talent….well talent for cheerleading, anyway.

Lance closed his eyes and sighed again; he knew that he didn't have a chance with a girl like that, but that just seemed to make her even more enticing. At least he could still dream…

With all this and more swirling in his head, Lance often had to work to calm his mind. These days his thoughts seemed to move at a faster and faster pace, almost like they were trying to outrun something. Even sleeping at night became problematic as it would sometimes take him hours to turn his mind 'off'. Deep down though, he knew what his mind was trying to run from.

Andrew's voice. No matter what he did, he could not escape it.

"Lance…phone."

Lance glanced down to see Carolyn standing at the foot of the tree, looking up.

Carolyn sighed as she watched Lance climb down. Ever since his accident, she hated the sight of her son climbing trees, but she did her best to hide her agitation from Lance. She didn't want to inject her fears into him. Soon, he reached the bottom and jumped down gracefully from the last branch.

"Thanks Mom," he said, and he ran into the house.

* * *

Once inside, Lance picked up the phone.

"Hey Lance, are we on for your place this Saturday?" Matt said on the line.

"Sure, Mom and Dad said it was fine."

"They're not going to be hovering around us, are they?"

Lance frowned. Matt and Brian were both in a phase where they wanted nothing to do with their parents and even seemed to despise them a bit. He, on the other hand, still enjoyed spending time with David and Carolyn. But even a social misfit like him knew that it was not cool to be so attached to his parents. At least not in public.

"Nah, Mom said she'd make us some stuff to eat, but then she and Dad were going to read in the study or something," Lance said. "As long as we don't break anything, we should be fine."

"Cool, see you then." Lance hung up the phone and began to think about this upcoming Saturday; after the school week he was having, he was looking forward to blowing off some steam.

"Was that about this weekend?" Carolyn asked. Lance started at her sudden appearance.

"Mom…don't sneak up on me like that," he snapped. "And yes, Matt and Brian are coming over around two."

"All right, sorry I startled you," she said. "And don't worry; your father and I will stay out of your way while your friends are here."

"Thanks Mom," he mumbled and he began to walk away. But Lance felt bad about being so short with his mother. He often found himself being cranky with them like that these days, but they hardly ever said anything about it. He turned back toward her to see her heading for the kitchen.

"Mom?"

Carolyn stopped and turned back toward him. He hesitated for a moment, but then reached over and hugged her. She smiled and held him back, kissing his temple.

"It's ok, baby," she said, seeming to read his mind. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," he said quietly. He then let her go and ran upstairs. Carolyn was still smiling as she watched him leave.

'_He may be growing up, but he's still our baby,'_ she thought.

She was just glad that Lance hadn't forgotten that.

* * *

Saturday soon came, and Carolyn was sitting a tray of food onto the coffee table in the family room when the doorbell rang. She went to the door and answered it to find Matt and Brian standing outside.

"Hello boys," she smiled. "I have nachos and sodas waiting for you, and Lance will be down in a minute." She then moved aside to let them in.

"Hi, Mrs. Sweets," they both mumbled as they kicked their shoes off by the door and trudged past her. Carolyn started for the kitchen and saw Lance walking down the stairs.

"They're here," she said. He nodded and went to join them. He found them sitting on the floor next to the coffee table, eating nachos.

"I'll say one thing, Lance," Brian said. "Your mom always has the best food. Mine can barely make toast." Lance sat down and Matt moved to sit close on the other side of him.

"Why do you always have to sit next to Lance?" Brian said.

"'Cause he's not always sitting there farting, like you," Matt sneered. Brian narrowed his dark blue eyes at him.

"Just for that, you're going down," Brian smirked. "Pity really…I was thinking of going a little easy on you today."

They then booted up their video game of choice these days: a first-person shooter. Brian and Matt were playing first with Lance watching while he waited for his turn. Not only was Brian clearly toying with Matt, he seemed to get a particular pleasure out of it.

"Pow," Brian whispered as another zombie was blown to bits on the TV screen. "And pow." Matt soon dropped his controller to the floor in frustration.

"Damn it Brian, you always win," Matt whined. "The only person who can beat you is Lance." Brian smirked.

"That's because most people aren't as awesome as me," he said. He then looked back at the screen with what could only be called a look of longing. Matt stood up.

"I gotta take a piss," he said and then he ran from the room. Once he was gone, Lance sat down on the floor next to Brian.

"My turn now," Lance smiled, picking up the discarded controller. "You won't get off so easily this time." But Brian was still staring at the screen.

"Hey Lance…do you…do you ever wish it was real?" he swallowed. "This game, I mean."

"Nah," Lance said, shaking his head. "I don't want to wake up to a world of zombies. Having to see Brad Pronger at school every day is bad enough."

"No," Brian whispered. He turned his head slightly to look sideways at Lance. "I mean, do you ever wish you could take people out like this? People like Brad?" Brian went back to staring at the screen.

"I mean, don't you ever get sick of it?" he continued. "Those idiots at school…they think they know everything, but they're just morons. And they've got all their moron friends there to support them and laugh at their stupid jokes." Brian finally turned to look at Lance and Lance noticed the faraway look in Brian's eyes.

"You know how it is," Brian said. "They pick on you too. Just because you're smarter than any of them. Don't you wish that you could just shut them up for once?"

"I...guess," Lance said, shivering a bit inwardly. Brian nodded and looked back at the screen.

"I do too," he said. "I really wish I could."

Just then Matt re-entered the room and sat down again close to Lance.

"Hey Lance, time for you to teach him a lesson," Matt grinned.

"Yeah, sure," Lance mumbled and they started the latest round of their game. Lance did indeed teach Brian a lesson in that round, but his mind kept drifting back to what Brian said while he played.

How many times had he wished Brad Pronger would just disappear? How many times had he wished that the people who would sneak up behind in the hallway to knock him down to the ground or yank his backpack off his back would be the ones who were hurt for a change? How many times did he fantasize about watching his classmates becoming the ones who were upset and humiliated instead of him?

'_But…would I really do any of that?'_ Lance wondered. _'Would I actually…shoot them?'_

He thought again about Brian as he watched him play another round with Matt. While Lance knew he didn't fit in because he was so much younger than his classmates, Brian seemed to wear his social awkwardness like a badge of honor. He almost willfully refused to fit in.

'_It's tough…being different.' _

Often Lance wished that he did blend in more. But a large part of him wondered if he really wanted the kind of lifestyle his classmates seemed to lead. Many of them seemed content to coast through life with a thought no deeper than wondering if their favorite TV show was about to be canceled. That is when they weren't thinking about sex.

Lance wanted some of that, but he didn't want to lose his unique viewpoint of the world either.

* * *

After a couple more hours, Matt left because his parents called the Sweets' house for him to come home for dinner. Brian stayed for a little longer, but soon decided to call it a day as well.

"That's four wins for each of us," Brian said as he jammed his feet into his sneakers. "Next time, when you come to my house, I'll be sure to break that tie."

"We'll see about that," Lance snorted. After getting his shoes on, Brian started to walk out the door, but then Lance put a hand on his arm.

"Hey…Brian," he said, hesitantly. "Don't worry about those morons at school. They…they just have an underdeveloped frontal lobe, so they can't help but be stupid." Brian just stared at him for a moment, but then he laughed and mussed up Lance's hair.

"You've been reading those psych books again," he teased. But then his face grew appreciative.

"Thanks Lance," he whispered. "You're…you're really smart…smarter than they give you credit for." Lance was sad to see that while Brian was smiling at him, his eyes were full of pain.

"I'll see you later," Brian said as he walked out the door. Lance stood in the doorway and watched him leave.

He hated to see his friend hurt so much and wished he could do something.

'_But what?' _he asked himself.

'_What can I do to help him?'_


	38. Year Seven, Direction, part 2

Author's Note: This is the last chapter of Year Seven. Next will be Year Nine, and there will be no Year Eight... Once again, Year Nine will be dark much like this one was...But I plan on lightening up again soon...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Ah...if wishes were horses....;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: Having to do things at a young age has a downside that I don't think is discussed much on Bones. Yes, Sweets has two doctorates, but what about the sacrifices he had to make to get them....As far as that other quote from Sweets...not to reveal too much, but Sweets will not have to worry about taking a life in any of the stories I have written...thus far...

**Aysel Maha**: Well Angela had her own ideas about Matt....;) I'm keeping him on the fence....I like to update as often as I can partially because I enjoy seeing the final product too. ;) Thanks for your reviews.

**TimeWitch16**: There will be more interactions with other teens as Lance gets older. I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter and my other story (The One in a Thousand). Once again, sharp eye on connecting that work to this one...;)

**Buttercups3**: Wow!...Thank you so much, that is really flattering. :D I'll admit that there were times early on where I worried that most people would be turned off by the length that I had in mind for this story. It's good to see that people are enjoying it because of that and not in spite of it. :) And please, send me the link for your collection of fics. I'm always looking for more Bones fanfiction that is Sweets-centric. ;) Hopefully you will enjoy my other work as well.

Year Seven—Direction—part 2

Lance was still staring outside through the doorway when Carolyn walked up beside him.

"Lance, a letter came for you today," she said. "It's another one from Peter." He nodded and took the letter from her hand.

"Thanks Mom," he said, walking over to the stairs.

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour," she said.

"Ok."

Carolyn closed the front door and then watched him as he went to his room. She leaned against the banister and sighed.

'_He has so much on his mind,'_ she thought. _'I wish he would share it more often with us.'_

Carolyn knew that ever since that session with Doctor Murray, Lance and David had a sort of unspoken agreement to stop keeping things from each other, but she was certain that there were times that Lance wasn't so much trying to hide things as much as trying to figure out how he felt about them.

* * *

In his room, Lance sat cross-legged on his bed and tore open the envelope, so that he could read Peter's letter.

Peter had started to write him after Kate had taken a job out of state and moved. He and Lance had patched up any differences between them during that holiday break almost a year ago, and the two of them had actually become rather friendly with each other.

Still, that didn't prepare Lance for Peter's first letter.

'_I'm not sure why I'm writing you. I just can't think of anyone else to talk to, and writing seems to make things a little easier._

_Mom and Elizabeth don't understand me at all. I think the only person who ever did was Dad, and he's not here. I don't mean to sound bitter, but I'm still a little jealous of the fact that you still have your dad…._

_But somehow you seem to understand a lot of stuff; I guess I can write to you…'_

Since then Peter would write him once a month or so. In his letters, he would talk about school, friends, girls, and life in general.

In his latest letter, Peter talked at length about school and his uncertainties about his future. He was doing well enough as far as his grades went, but the thought of college and an impending office job did not sit well with him.

'_Mom doesn't want to hear it, but I'm thinking about joining the Army. Elizabeth, she thinks it's weird, but it's like I can feel my father pointing me toward this direction._

_I don't know if Uncle David mentioned this, but my dad spent some time in the Army. He used to tell me that it really helped him find direction and discipline in his life._

_I know that Dad would support this decision. I just wish the rest of my family would.'_

Lance felt even more saddened after reading Peter's letter. Even though Peter was three years older than him, they both seemed to be at the same stage of life: both of them struggling to make sense of the world and what they wanted out of it.

Lance laid down on his back and tried to sort through his thoughts. But things just kept getting jumbled up with his feelings.

Soon there was a knock on the door, and Carolyn opened it a second later.

"Lance, dinner." He sat up and tried to smile at her.

"Ok Mom thanks."

* * *

Dinner was mostly quiet with only occasional chit-chat breaking up the silence. Lance noticed his father watching him, and sighed inwardly. It wasn't so much that Lance didn't want to talk; it was more like he didn't know what to say.

David had picked up on Lance's awkwardness and kept an eye on him. It was something he did a lot recently.

The past three months had been hard on David as well as Lance. After finding out the true extent of Lance's abuse during that session with Murray, he had had a few nights that were filled with nightmares. During those nights, he would eventually move to the family room and sit up all night, trying to clear his mind. He did not always spend that time alone; Lance joined him on some nights. It was never planned, but it was clear that Lance sometimes couldn't sleep for the same reason that David couldn't. They never said much during those nights; they just sat there and drew support from each other.

A couple of weeks ago, Lance had finally given his permission to David to tell Carolyn about what he said in that session. David intended to tell her, but he was grappling with it a bit.

'_Carolyn has such a tender heart, especially in regards to Lance. Do I want her thinking about all this too?'_

Throughout this process, David often felt that a part of him had been drawn into the same darkness that had poisoned Lance's soul. He knew that, given the choice, he would not change his decision to let Lance into his heart as much as he did. Still, it did not make dealing with that darkness any easier.

David looked at both his son and his wife. He knew that he would probably talk to Carolyn later tonight after Lance went to bed, and it was a discussion that he was not looking forward to. But he also thought about a discussion that he would probably be having with Lance later. After that session, David did not worry about Lance not wanting to open up to him; he knew it was a matter of waiting to see how long Lance was going to put off talking to him.

Watching him during dinner, David was pretty sure the wait was over.

* * *

After dinner, David picked up a book from the study and sat down in the family room, reading while he waited. This was Lance's favorite place to go to talk to him, and he figured that it wouldn't be long before he joined him there.

Sure enough, a half an hour after he sat down, Lance showed up and David put his book down and watched him. Lance shook his head and sat down beside him.

"How do you always know when I need to talk?"

"I'm your father. I know when you need to talk to me."

"You always say that, but I don't see how that's an answer," Lance frowned.

"Nevertheless, it's the truth," David said. "It's not something I can explain otherwise."

Lance nodded and was silent for a minute while he let that subject drop. David put his arm around him and Lance leaned against him.

"Dad…what were your parents like?" David raised an eyebrow at that: this was the first time Lance asked him about his family.

"Well my mother was very kind, social, homey," he said. "She was the type of person who would arrange bake sales and block parties to raise money to help out a neighbor. She was very dedicated to her home and her family and friends." David leaned back against the couch and Lance curled his legs up so that he could settle in closer to him.

"My father was a quiet man, a hard worker" David continued. "He didn't believe in saying much or being very open with his feelings. Some saw him as distant compared to my mother, but Vincent and I knew that he loved all of us. I think…I think he wanted to express himself more, but it was just too hard for him."

"Then why are you so much more…open…than him?" Lance asked.

"Some of that was my mother," David answered. "However, a lot of it was Carolyn. After I met her, I realized that I wanted to express myself more. She helped me find the courage to share my feelings, and I've been grateful to her ever since."

"Dad…do you…do you think Andrew's father hurt him too?"

At the mention of Andrew's name, David felt rage stir in his heart again, but he forced himself to relax. He knew that this was not the time for anger.

"It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he did," he said. "Some people, when they are hurt, they think the only way that they can soothe their own pain is to inflict it onto others. Especially those who are less able to fight back. It doesn't make it right, though."

"Dad, I don't want to be like him," Lance said solemnly.

"Don't worry, sport. You're nothing like him."

"But I want to do more than just not be like Andrew," Lance said fidgeting a little.

"I see people…like my friend Brian. His parents…they don't get him at all, and he doesn't get them either. They're not like you, Dad. I don't think they even want to understand him. Now, Brian has these jerks bothering him at school, and it's really bringing him down. I...I think he doesn't know what to do."

"High school is a difficult time for a lot of people, Lance," David mused. "I know you are finding that out first hand. I'm sure some of the same people that pick on your friend pick on you and probably for the same reasons as well. There is just so much insecurity, that they feel they need to build themselves up by mocking anyone who is different than them."

"And then there's Peter…you know he's still writing me?" Lance said. "He says that he can't talk to Aunt Kate anymore; all they do is argue….He misses his dad so much…He told me that he wants to join the Army, but he hasn't told Aunt Kate because he's afraid of what she'll say."

David shook his head; his heart often ached a little for Peter. He knew that Vincent's death hit him very hard. He wasn't surprised that Peter wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.

"Peter is very much his father's son," David said softly. "I'm sure Vincent told him how the Army helped him find his way, and now he's longing for the same sort direction in his life. But no matter what he decides, I'm confident that Peter will find his way. He's a good kid, strong, like his father."

"Like you," Lance said, snuggling a little more against his father. David smiled.

"Thanks sport."

Lance stopped talking for a little while, processing what David had said. Then he sat up and faced his father. David noted the intense look in his eyes.

"Dad, everyone keeps asking me what I want to do with my life…and all I can keep thinking about is how you and Mom helped me so much…and I…I want to do something like what you did for me…" Lance looked back down for a moment and swallowed hard. He then looked back up at David, his face resolute.

"Dad…I want to help other people the way you helped me…I want to help people stop hurting inside…That's what I want to do with my life."


	39. Year Nine, Crisis, part 1

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long before I updated. I had to do some more traveling and then I just wanted to sleep for a day. I'm starting to get caught up in my writing again, so I hope to have some more updates over the next couple of days.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. So please, no legal actions. ;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: In some ways it makes sense that Sweets turned to psychology, but in other ways it's pretty extraordinary that he would want to help others so much considering how he was probably treated. As for Brian...his fate is mentioned elsewhere....

**TimeWitch16**: Being as Sweets is only twelve at that point, it's like he has the inherent skills for his future profession, but he doesn't know how to use them. So I'm glad that you appreciated how I approached how he handles the problems he sees around him. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. ;)

**Buttercups3**: I had always pictured Peter as a more complex character than what he intially appears to be...you may seem him again. As for the rest of it, yeah, I think that his decision to be a psychologist was more of a natural progression of his life than a burning desire from early on....anyway thanks for the review. :D

**Cobalt6233**: The idea that Sweets anaylizes things thoroughly a lot is over-looked by most of the people he works with, I think. Well except maybe for Booth. I picture there being a lot of reflection in between the times he interacts with the others thus making him quicker to respond when he is around them....well I hope you like this section as well.

**Tani May Trybrand**: Thank you! :D I hope you like the rest of it as well. We still have a long way to go....

Year Nine—Crisis—part 1

Carolyn Sweets sighed as she drove up to the school that Lance attended. She parked her car and began to wait for her son to walk out so she could take him home. She hated that she often dreaded this ritual these days, but she couldn't help it. Carolyn just hoped that it wouldn't be too much of an ordeal today.

She still could not grasp how this surly, distant teenager that she was waiting for could be the child that she had loved for more than eight years. On one hand, Lance had made so much progress. He had finally stopped going to therapy last year, and he was quickly breezing through high school. As Dean Fry had predicted so many years ago, Lance would be graduating in a couple months at fourteen years old. The dean had already sat down with her and David to discuss which colleges Lance could go to next fall; although David had expressed concerns about sending a fourteen year old off to college by himself.

'_I just don't know if he's ready,' David said. 'Intellectually, he is, but emotionally… he's still a kid in many ways.'_

Carolyn had had some of the same concerns, but she tried to be positive about Lance's future. Nowadays though, she could see why David had his doubts.

In the last year and a half, there had been a definite change in Lance. He became moody and sullen. He isolated himself from most people except from Brian, who was his only friend since Matt Harnson had moved away a year ago. Lance barely spoke to her or David these days and avoided them whenever possible.

Carolyn shook her head. This was such a different Lance than the one from a couple years ago. For instance, she remembered the night that David had finally told her what her son had told him and Doctor Murray about what happened to him. Carolyn had trembled for several minutes afterwards with grief and anger.

'_How could…how could someone do that? Try to take away the innocence of a child? How could someone do that to our baby?'_

Later after David fell asleep, she had sneaked into Lance's room. She wanted to watch him sleep for a while, but he woke up when she knelt down beside the bed.

'_Mom…why…' Then he saw her face. 'Dad told you, didn't he?' _

'_I'm sorry, baby…I'm sorry…' Lance turned toward her._

'_It's ok, Mom….Could…could you stay here with me tonight?' Carolyn smiled and kissed his cheek. She knew that he wasn't just asking to make himself feel better._

'_Thank you, Lance…I would love to.' _She ended up spending the rest of the night holding him while he slept. She never brought it up again, and he never mentioned it.

Back in the present Carolyn sniffed a little. That kind of loving gesture was rarely seen from Lance these days. But what bothered her more than anything was the deteriorating relationship between her son and her husband.

While Lance was merely distant and somewhat unresponsive with her, he was often downright hostile with David. When it first started, Lance would argue with him and there would be some very hateful words said. But then, David decided to take a firmer stance.

'_You will not talk that way to your mother or me. If you continue to act this way, you can expect to have most of your privileges taken away,' David told him. 'It's your choice.'_

After that, there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that the two of them would just avoid talking to each other as much as possible. Carolyn couldn't understand what had happened to make Lance turn on David; theirs had always been such a close bond that even she felt excluded once in a great while. Now, one could hardly believe that they had ever been so close. Making matters even more difficult was the fact that the timing of Lance's belligerence could not have been worse.

Right now, David had his own stressors. The financial firm that he worked for had suffered a major loss when it was discovered that the vice president had been embezzling funds from the company. The result was that the mangers, like David, had to put in a lot of extra hours to sort it all out and to try to regain some of the losses. This meant that he was often spending up to ten hours a day at work for six to seven days a week. Carolyn hated this. It was one thing when he had to do that thirty years ago, but now David was sixty. She worried about his well-being in the midst of all that work. Plus, it seemed to only put greater strain on his relationship with Lance, which was already having problems. However, a tiny part of her wondered if he didn't mind the extra work so that he could avoid Lance's moodiness.

She tried talking to David about her concerns, but he shrugged off any attempts to discuss it.

'_He's going through a phase,' he told her. 'He'll come around. We just have to ride it out.'_

Carolyn even made a phone call to Doctor Murray about it. While he was no longer Lance's therapist, he was still considered a close family friend.

'_David is probably not too far off in thinking that,' Murray told her. 'He's under a lot of pressure academically and socially, and he still has to deal with the normal issues that come with being a teenager. Just continue to support him the best you can for right now. He still loves the two of you; he's probably just having a hard time dealing with his emotions right now.'_

The bell rang and Carolyn watched the students exit the school. She tried to take David's and Murray's assurances to heart, but the last six months in particular had been increasingly difficult. Besides there were other things besides Lance's attitude that concerned her.

Brian had recently introduced Lance to something called 'death metal', and it had become Lance's new obsession. Carolyn had seen the posters and the shirts that Lance used his allowance for, and she couldn't understand why her son would want to revel in something that appeared to be so dark and sinister. Then she heard some of the music, and it made even less sense to her. She wondered if some of that gloomy attitude had invested her son.

Soon, Carolyn saw Lance walking slowly toward her car. He opened up the car door and threw his backpack into the back. He then got into his seat and buckled himself without a word. Carolyn drove off once he was settled.

"Lance, how was your day?"

"Fine," he snapped while staring out the window.

"Just so you'll know, your father may not be able to join us for dinner tonight. He's working late."

"What a surprise," Lance snorted.

"Baby, you're father is a very hard worker and his company is going through some difficult times," she said. "He's under a lot of pressure. Please try to understand that."

"Whatever," Lance mumbled. Carolyn decided to stop the conversation there; she could tell that Lance would only get moodier if she continued.

When they got home, Lance immediately went to his room and slammed the door. Carolyn sighed and went to the kitchen to make dinner.

'_It may just be a phase, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.'_

* * *

Up in his room, Lance sat on the bed and sulked. It had been yet another day of trying to make himself as invisible as possible at school and failing miserably. He was still getting near perfect grades, and that was creating a problem for him now. His teachers couldn't help but lavish attention on him and his accomplishments and that made Lance an even bigger target for his classmates' taunting and abuse.

Lance clenched his fist. He couldn't remember a single day in the last four months when he didn't have someone push him to the ground in the hallway, or yell insults at him when he walked by or just find some other way to humiliate him in general.

The bullying was especially cruel these days. One time he had opened up his backpack after his biology class to discover that someone had placed organs from the frogs they had dissected that day into his notebook. He was grossed out and his biology notes were ruined.

Other times he would be sitting in the cafeteria and people like Trent Bailer would come over to pick on him. Trent was a senior, the same as Lance, and was the captain of the football team. Trent seemed particularly resentful that Lance was going to graduate at the same time as him.

'_Hi Sweet-stuff,' he would snicker. 'How's my favorite geek?'_

'_Leave me alone,' Lance said. Trent would sit down beside him and Lance flinched when he put his hand on his shoulder._

'_Aww what's the matter Sweet-stuff? Are you going to go cry to your grandma when she comes to pick you up?'_

'_She's not my grandmother,' Lance said through gritted teeth. 'I've told you that or do you have some sort of mental disorder that makes you forget things?' Seeing a flicker of discomfort in Trent's eyes, Lance turned his intense gaze onto him._

'_Probably runs in the family,' Lance sneered. 'You see your relatives slowly lose their ability to remember stuff and you're worried it will happen to you. That's why it bothers you when you misplace your keys or your English papers.' _

_Trent's face grew red and Lance inwardly gloated. These days he got a perverse pleasure out of being able to get inside the heads of the bullies who tormented him and finding their insecurities. It seemed to be the only way he could fight back against them. Not that that didn't come with a cost._

_Trent stood up and picked up Lance's lunch tray. He then dumped the contents all over Lance's lap, prompting laughter from everyone around them. Lance would just sit there silently and fume since he knew there was nothing else he could do. He had been beaten up by Trent once before, an event he did not want to repeat._

Back in his room, Lance finally got up and changed out of his uniform into a black tee-shirt and black jeans. He then turned on his stereo and put in his latest death metal CD. He put his headphones over his ears and laid down on his bed.

He was glad that Brian had introduced him to this music. He discovered that if he played it loud enough and long enough, he could drown out the memories of his classmates' bullying. Sometimes he could even drown out the sound of Andrew's voice in the back of his mind.

However, he tried to not think about how this music seemed to tap into the darkness that had been inside him for years. The dark thoughts that had always been so vocal were now more subtle and invasive in how they clouded his mind and poisoned his heart. As a result, he found himself lashing out at everyone, most of all toward his parents.

Lance closed his eyes and turned up the volume even more. No matter how loud the music was, he wasn't able to erase the guilt he felt at his treatment of David and Carolyn. David in particular. He didn't understand completely why he was so angry at his father these days. Rationally, he knew that David had nothing to do with his problems ,and if anything, he was always trying to help him. But even when his mind could reason that out, he still felt resentful toward him. If he could put his finger on any of it, he supposed that it could be because David was spending so much time at work these days; it almost seemed like he was avoiding him.

'_He threw me into this situation, being a high school senior at fourteen, and now he doesn't want to deal with it,' _Lance thought to himself_. 'Well fine, Dad. I existed before you came along and I can learn to do without you again.'_

'_I don't need you to save me.'_

* * *

It was late at night when David finally got home from work. He walked into the kitchen to discover that Carolyn had left him some stew in a slow cooker for him so he could have a warm meal when he got home. He smiled a little; he had always been grateful that Carolyn supported him in times like these. He hardly got to see her other than at breakfast in the morning and maybe a few words with her at night in bed. It was a rather lonely existence for him. Especially with how Lance was acting these days.

David ladled out some stew into a bowl and sat down at the dining room table to eat. He had tried hard to be understanding toward his son, and he was worried about the prospect of Lance facing college here soon. But most of all, he worried about Lance's emotional well-being. David knew that he was having issues with his classmates, a fact that was driven home one day about five months ago.

He had come home early from work that day. He walked into the bathroom to find Lance there with his nose bleeding and a split lip. David had been livid.

_'Who did this to you?' he asked in a low angry voice even as he was gently tending to Lance's face._

_'Nobody,' Lance mumbled looking away. David had clenched his jaw._

_'Lance, I'm not going to just stand by and let people hit you. You should know that by now. If it's someone at school, I want to know who it is so I can deal with them.' Lance then jerked away from him._

_'Oh yeah, great idea Dad,' he snapped. 'You do that and I might as well paint a large sign on my back that says "Please make my life as miserable as possible". It's bad enough that I have to be the only fourteen year old senior in high school; you'd just be making it worse.'_

_David took a breath before trying again._

_'Lance…if this is not what you want…if you would rather be back in classes with children your own age…I can arrange that.' Lance had blinked in surprise at him, and David placed a hand on his shoulder._

_'I just want you to lead the life you want to lead and be happy, sport.' Lance stared at him for a moment, his eyes shiny. But then he turned away from him._

_'Just let it go Dad…Just….' With that he stomped out of the bathroom and a moment later David heard Lance's bedroom door slam shut._

David looked down at his now nearly empty bowl of stew and found that he could not take another bite. Instead he pushed it aside and put his head in his hands. He didn't want to worry Carolyn, but he had not felt well at all for the past week. He had decided earlier that day to see his doctor, but wondered when he would have time for an appointment.

He sighed as he got up to place his bowl and spoon into the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and then stared at the refrigerator door once it swung shut. On it was an old picture of the three of them at Christmas time: Lance sitting in David's lap smiling, while Carolyn had her arm around the both of them. David traced his finger along the happy faces that he saw and became wistful.

It was hard to love someone who didn't seem to want to love you back.


	40. Year Nine, Crisis, part 2

Author's Note: Here is the next part. After this, I will take a day off to further catch up on my writing and drafting. But I will apologize in advance for the cliffhanger....

Oh and I have to say this after seeing the preview for the season finale Thursday night: Sweets dressed in a burglar costume, saying "I'm Mr. Adventure." is one of the cutest things ever. ;D

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. A shame really....;)

As always thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It just keeps putting a smile on my face. :)

**Cwgirlup**: After remembering the misery that high school was for me, I could only imagine what it would have been like for someone like Sweets...And I can imagine that he would have been a lot to deal with during this time for David and Carolyn...And yes, the stress is getting to David, unfortunately...

**TimeWitch16**: I figured this was about the right time for Sweets to get into death metal. And glad you liked that bit at school. I kind of picture those being the types of insults that Sweets would come up with. ;) As for your question...well...yes, I'm ending it around the time periods that you've mentioned, but I won't go into more detail than that because I'm leaving a little surprise for the epilogue at the end. ;)

**Buttercups3**: I don't see how one could avoid being sullen considering what most of us go through during that time. ;) You had to think that David and Carolyn would wonder about the death metal, but you're right about the angst. I went through my own phase of wearing all black and listening to dark music when in high school, and my mom didn't get it either. The only reason I didn't get bullied more than I did is because most people were afraid of me. ;) Glad you enjoyed the update and here's another one.

**Fear Herself**: Well, by now I think you should know about my addiction to angst as well as fluff. ;) Don't worry, I'll return to the fluff for a bit after Year Nine is over. And yes, Gallo was a reference to Carla Gallo who plays Daisy Wick. And like I mentioned before, Frank's real first name (Francis) was an actor reference too....;D I hope to update again by Monday.

**Aysel Maha**: That's actually a good point that you brought up. David and Carolyn are older than most parents would be at this point, and in my version, Sweets was their first and only child. When you throw in the fact that Sweets was probably far from a typical kid, you'd have to think that it would be a challenge for almost any parent to raise him. Let alone ones in David's and Carolyn's position in life. But then again, I think it was their uniqueness that made it possible to help Sweets develop....Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. ;)

Year Nine—Crisis—part 2

The weekend came, and for once, David was able to take a couple days off. Carolyn felt guilty about that; she had not anticipated that he would have Saturday off and had planned to meet up with her gardening club. She tried to cancel, but David stopped her.

'_No, Carolyn. It's all right,'_ he told her. _'You go ahead and meet with your friends. We can spend some time together this evening. Besides this will give me a chance to catch up on my reading.'_

Lance left earlier that afternoon to go see Brian, so David found himself sitting in the family room alone, reading a book. However, he had a hard time concentrating on it. He had felt strangely anxious and light-headed all morning. He had chalked it up to stress and possibly catching an illness at work. He had hoped that some peace and quiet would alleviate it.

But as time wore on, David felt worse instead of better. He now felt somewhat nauseous and had this feeling of pressure in his chest that would come and go. Having not eaten much for breakfast, he decided that a simple meal of soup and a sandwich might settle him.

He was looking through the cupboards for ingredients when he heard the front door slam. Moments later, David was greeted by the sight of Lance walking into the kitchen.

"What happened? I thought you were going to go visit with Brian," David said. Lance flung open the refrigerator and sighed dramatically.

"I was, but then it turns out that he flunked his math exam, so his dad grounded him," he responded. "And that sucks because we had plans, but now it looks like I'll be stuck here all weekend."

"Sorry about that," David said. "By the way, how is school?"

"How do you think it is, Dad?"

"Lance…I've had a very long week and I'm tired. Please try to be civil."

"Well what would you like me to say?" Lance snapped. "Gee Dad, I got another 'A' on my history test, but guess what? I'm still the biggest social outcast of all time." Lance turned to him, his eyes almost black with rage.

"It's the same thing every day. Why do you keep asking?"

"You do know that you can talk to me if people are…"

"So what? What good will talking do?" Lance interrupted. "I'll still have to go to school and put up with those jerks every day." He hung his head.

"It's never going to get any better," he whispered. David walked over and put a hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Yes it will, sport," he said gently. "I know it's hard now, but soon you'll be around people who will appreciate you and your gifts. In the meantime, just know that your mother and I love you and support you."

'_You keep loving me…keep saving me…'_

'_That's why I'm still here…still here in this hell.'_

"Whatever," Lance said, shrugging David's hand off his shoulder.

"Ok…well, I'm getting ready to make some soup and sandwiches for myself. Would you like to join me?" David asked. "I could make you some."

"No thanks, I'm just going to go to my room…if you don't mind?" Lance snarled. Pushed to frustration, David had had enough.

"Lance, I know things are difficult for you right now, but you need to stop acting this way around us," he said. Lance met his father's angry tone by narrowing his eyes further.

"What do you care? You're never here. And maybe Mom won't say that it bothers her, but it does. You just refuse to see it."

"Lance…now you are taking it too…"

David was stopped by a sudden wave of pressure in his chest and light-headedness. He put his hand to his chest and moaned very softly. He then stumbled out to the dining room and collapsed onto a chair. Lance followed him; the anger on his face was replaced with fear and concern.

"Dad?" he said softly. David didn't respond, just put his head down on the table and waited for the spell to pass.

"Dad…what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," David mumbled. "Just give me a moment."

'_It's not nothing….something is wrong with him…'_

"Dad, what is it? Are you in pain?" Lance asked, his voice starting to tremble.

"My chest….it doesn't really hurt; it's just a bit tight. I'm a little woozy is all," David said, sitting back up. "Probably just caught that bug that's been going around."

"You said your chest hurts?" Lance's eyes grew wide as he watched his father.

"It's just a little stomach upset is all," David assured him. "Like I said, I probably just got something from work."

_'My teacher talked about this_..._This isn't just a bug…it's worse than that…'_

'_No….please no…not Dad...'_

To David's shock, Lance jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room. Seconds later he heard him using the phone in the next room.

"I need an ambulance…I think my father is having a heart attack…yes…David Sweets…yes, I'm his son…"

David then heard Lance give their address twice with pleas for them to hurry in between. He got up and walked over to Lance just as he was hanging up the phone. At the sight of his father, Lance jumped and became even more upset.

"Dad…you shouldn't be up," he sniffed. "You should sit down and rest."

"Lance you didn't need to call 911," David said. "I'm fine." Lance's eyes filled with tears as he reached over for David's hand and began to guide him along.

"I know you're mad at me, but please listen," Lance said sniffling more. "It's not just a bug…please sit down and rest…please."

Even though he had been irritated with him, David could not ignore the pleading in Lance's voice or the tears that were starting to dribble out of his eyes.

"All right, sport," he said, letting his son lead him to the couch in the family room. Once there, David suddenly felt exhausted and laid down, closing his eyes. He was surprised when he felt Lance carefully place a throw pillow under his head. Then another, stronger wave of nausea and pressure filled him. He began to feel dread at the thought that Lance might be right about this being serious.

"Lance…call your mother. She's at Mrs. Mathers' house with her gardening club," David rasped. "Tell her we are going to the hospital."

Lance had started to cry by this point, but he nodded and ran out of the room to call her. On the way to the phone, however, another thought struck him.

'_Wait…there's something you're supposed to do…something for a heart attack…' _

He changed directions and went upstairs and into the bathroom. He frantically tore things out of the medicine cabinet until he found what he was looking for: a small bottle of aspirin. He then rushed back downstairs to the family room. He knelt beside the couch and opened up the bottle, shaking a couple of the pills into his hand.

"Please chew this, Dad," Lance said his voice wobbly. "It'll help you." David took one of the pills from Lance's hand and put it into his mouth.

"Thank you…but please call your mother now…" Lance wanted to get up but found himself frozen in place.

'_Please don't leave me Dad…I need you…'_

"I'm sorry," Lance sobbed. "I'm sorry for how I've been…I didn't mean it." David took his son's hand into his and gripped it as the pressure mounted in his chest.

"I know you didn't, sport," he said. "It's going to be ok. But listen…we can't worry your mother. Call her quick before the ambulance gets here. I want you to be able to go with me when it comes, and she'll need to know where we are."

Lance reluctantly left his father and went to make a quick, tearful phone call to his mother. After hanging up with her, he returned to David and knelt beside him again.

"You should go to the front door so you can wave down the ambulance and show them in," David murmured. Lance began to sob harder.

"No…I don't want to leave you," he blubbered. David closed his eyes again and groaned as he felt another wave of nausea hit him. He reached out his arm blindly and wrapped it around Lance's shoulders, pulling him close. Lance responded by wrapping his arms around David and leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Listen sport…I know you're scared…I'm scared too. But I need you to do this for me. You've been very brave and have done a good job taking care of me so far…but I need you to be strong for a little longer, all right? Now, please go to the door and wait for them."

Lance clung to him for a moment longer and then finally nodded and sat up. He got to his feet shakily and wiped at his eyes. He started to walk out, but turned one last time toward David.

'_What if something happens to him while I'm gone?'_

"Dad…"

"Lance…I love you and I promise that I won't go anywhere. I'll be here when they come. Now go." After Lance walked out, David turned his head and sank further into the couch.

Just as Lance opened the front door, the flash of lights and the wail of sirens came toward his house. Lance stepped out onto the porch and waved his arms frantically. The ambulance stopped at their driveway and a couple of EMTs got out.

"In here, this way," Lance shouted at them as he waved them inside. The men followed Lance in and he started to give them what information he could remember about his father. They made it to the family room and the EMTs rushed over to David so they could treat him.

But to Lance's horror, David was unconscious when they walked in and he did not wake up once while they tended to him.


	41. Year Nine, Crisis, part 3

Author's Note: Ok, back to it with the next chapter....

Recently I've been thinking about this story: it's probably the longest thing I've ever written, and it's my first fanfiction. Hard to believe looking back on it now. Even though I already have the ending planned, I think I'm going to miss it once it's over....

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. *sigh*

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: Sorry to bring back any painful memories :( I also have had family members suffer from heart disease so I have an idea of that kind fear....I am glad you enjoyed the chapter...and yes, considering Sweets' tendency toward self-blame, this could only be difficult...

**Not an infant**: Well, like I mentioned to **TimeWitch16** I will be ending it around the time Sweets starts working at the FBI and after his parents' deaths. I won't go into anymore detail than that...and unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) I actually will not being hitting every year of Sweets' life. I already skipped Year Four and Year Eight and it's looking like there will be no Year Ten either....glad you are enjoying it thus far though, there's lots more coming before it's over...;)

**Dukefan1982**: Oh no problem. ;) Like I said I can relate to the college grind being a college student myself who is preparing for a hectic summer semester...Anyway, yes this incident will be a catalyst for some changes, but it won't be a smooth transition....

**Elipeel**: As always thank you for your reviews. :D And yes, another cliffhanger...I can't help myself...;) As for Sweets' recent attitude...one gets the sense that he did not get into death metal around this time period purely for aesthetic reasons, thus his tendency to lash out around this time....but he's still the same kid underneath, somthing that seems to persist even to adulthood...;)

**TimeWitch16**: I can feel your pain. Right now I have to use my roommate's laptop to get any of this done since I'm on vacation from college. I can't wait to get that computer....as for David and Lance...it's more like it took David's illness to force Lance to re-think his actions...as mentioned above it will lead to changes, but it will not go smoothly at first....good luck on getting the computer back and thanks again. :D

**Cobalt6233**: No problem. I was out of state recently which was why I had some gaps in updating. Glad you enjoyed...and don't worry about David...I'm still following canon....:D

**Fear Herself**: So here's the update then. :D Oh, and I'm glad you enjoyed The Question of the Intern....;)

**Buttercups3**: Thank you again....Unfortunately I think most of us have regrets when it comes to saying what we would like to say to someone before they leave us in one way or another...oh and don't worry, like I mentioned above, I am following canon...:D

Year Nine—Crisis—part 3

Lance began to feel cold inside while he sat in the waiting room by himself. Carolyn had left a few minutes ago to see about David. He thought about how he had been unable to look at his mother since he was so consumed by grief and guilt.

'_I've been so hateful to them…just because I couldn't handle my own pain…'_

'_Now Dad's in the hospital…who knows if he's all right…'_

'_I didn't tell him that I love him…'_

Lance gulped and began to weep again. He thought about how David had tried to reassure him even in the midst of having a heart attack. But he had had no such comforting words for his father. Now all he could think about were the things that he didn't tell him, and all the arguments that had passed between them.

'_He will leave you…even if he says he won't…he will…'_

'_You helped it along…you broke his heart…and all he ever did was love you…'_

As more of these dark thoughts filled his mind, Lance felt his breathing begin to speed up, and his vision clouded. It had been years since he had had a full panic attack. But faced with the prospect of never seeing his father alive again, Lance could not stop the fear from building inside him.

* * *

Meanwhile Carolyn was walking back to the waiting room. She had been able to track down a nurse who was able to tell her that David was stable and being moved to a room. She was assured that she would be able to see him soon. Carolyn had almost collapsed then and there from relief at finding out that her husband was still alive.

While she walked she remembered the phone call that she had gotten from her son. Carolyn was barely able to understand Lance at some points, but she quite clearly heard "Dad", "heart attack" and which hospital they were going to. She had rushed over and found Lance standing in the middle of the waiting room in a daze with tears running down his face. They apparently had just arrived a few minutes ago.

'_Mom…Dad…he didn't wake up….he…'_

After that he broke into incoherent sobs.

The hospital staff had urged Carolyn to complete some forms. She filled them out as fast as she could, and then spent the next hour holding her son, who was still sobbing. A couple times, she joined him in crying as well. Lance had barely spoken a word since.

'_Please God, let David be all right,'_ she had prayed. After having him in her world for almost forty years, Carolyn could not imagine a life without David. As she held Lance even tighter, she remembered that she was not the only one who needed her husband.

A few minutes ago she had gotten tired of waiting and had gone to find someone who could tell her something. She was now glad that she had since not only was she able to ease her mind; she was able to give Lance some good news.

But when she arrived back in the waiting room, she was greeted with the sight of a nurse leaning toward her son, who was hyperventilating.

"Lance," she cried, rushing over to him.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but….," the nurse started.

"He's my son," Carolyn said cutting him off.

"I think we should get a doctor," the nurse said. Carolyn shook her head.

"No…he's just scared," she said. She began to rub Lance's shoulders.

"Lance…Lance, baby calm down," she soothed. "David is going to be fine…I promise." Lance didn't seem to hear her, and just kept gasping for breath. Carolyn panicked a little. Normally, it was David who helped bring Lance out of these attacks, and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to snap him out of it.

She then put her arms around Lance and cradled him the best she could.

"Lance…please listen to me…your father is all right…I just talked to someone." Carolyn began to rub circles on Lance's back and was relieved as she felt his breathing begin to slow down.

"That's it…relax…They're taking him to a room now," she said softly. "Just calm down and breathe with me. Then once he's settled we can go see him." She rocked him slightly as he continued to become calmer. The nurse left satisfied that it wasn't an emergency. Carolyn felt Lance place his head on her shoulder; she kissed his temple.

Even though he seemed relaxed now, Carolyn did not want to let him go, and was glad that Lance continued to let her hold him. It was almost as if all the distance that she had felt from him over the past few months had vanished. She ran her fingers through his hair, grateful for the comfort that she was able to draw from him.

"Family of David Sweets?"

Those words broke Carolyn out of her reverie and she stood up along with Lance. A nurse led the two of them to the room where David was recovering.

"He's resting now, so please keep things quiet and no excitement," the nurse instructed them before letting them in. "The doctor will be along in a few minutes," she said as she walked away, leaving them in the room.

David was lying in bed with his eyes shut. Nearby were some monitors that beeped in a steady rhythm. He had an IV in his arm and tubes for oxygen in his nose. Carolyn walked carefully over to the bed and took his hand. As she curled her fingers around his, David stirred and opened his eyes.

"Carolyn?" he whispered. Carolyn's eyes filled with tears again. She relished being able to hear David's voice and looking into his vivid green eyes. She leaned down and kissed him.

"David…thank God…I love you so much," she sniffled. "I'm so happy that you're awake." She sat down on the edge of the bed, and David embraced her.

"I love you, Carolyn," he said, his voice weak. "It's all right now." She nodded and sniffled again.

"Don't cry, Carolyn," he soothed. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." She kissed him again before sitting back up and wiping her eyes.

"Where's Lance?" David asked. Carolyn turned around to see that Lance had slung off to a corner of the room and was staring at the floor.

"Lance?" she said. But he did not move. David leaned to one side so he could see around her.

"Lance?... Sport?... Come here," he said. Still not lifting his head, Lance finally walked over to the bed. David reached for Lance's hand once he got close.

"Hey, sport, it's ok now," he said gently. "Everything's fine. See…I'm right here." Lance nodded, but still did not speak or look up. David frowned; he was becoming disturbed by his son's behavior. He pulled Lance closer to the bed and made room for him to sit down next to him. He then wrapped his arms around Lance and held him close, letting him rest against his chest. Lance began to cling to David while he held him.

"Lance, I'm proud of what you did today," he said. "You acted quickly and you were very brave." David gave a light kiss to the top of Lance's head.

"I love you, sport. Thank you for taking care of me."

Carolyn sat next to him on the bed and stroked Lance's hair.

"You did a good job, baby" she smiled. "Thank you."

However, to their dismay, Lance still remained silent and would not look at either of them in the eye.

"Mister David Sweets?"

Everyone looked up to see a man, who identified himself as a Doctor Williamson entered the room. Lance stood up and walked off to the side of the room. Carolyn stood next to the bed and held David's hand. After some brief introductions and a look at David's chart, Carolyn spoke up.

"Doctor, will David be all right?" she asked.

"Yes, he should be just fine, Mrs. Sweets," the doctor nodded. "We will need to keep him here for a couple days to monitor his condition, but after that it should be fine to take him home. That is as long as he takes it easy and rests for the most part." David shifted in his bed.

"How soon can I go back to work?" he asked. "Because I have some matters there that need…"

"Mr. Sweets, I've gone over the information your wife has given us," Williamson interrupted. "According to her, you've been working between fifty to seventy hours a week at a high stress job for a while now. I can tell you that, while you are in excellent condition for your age overall, that level of work needs to stop."

"But doctor…," David protested.

"No 'buts', Mr. Sweets," Williamson said. "You're in the hospital because you suffered from a mild case of angina. Since your cholesterol levels are good and you are not hypertensive, more than likely, this was caused by excessive stress. Stress that you need to try to eliminate or next time you may not be so lucky."

"David, please listen to him," Carolyn pleaded. "Your job is not worth your life. Nothing is as important as having you here with us."

The doctor glanced over at Lance, who was standing nearby.

"Is this your son?" he asked. Both David and Carolyn nodded. The doctor walked over to Lance and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Young man, I just want you to know that your actions may very have saved your father's life," he said solemnly. "At the very least, they helped to prevent this from becoming a more severe situation. Most people, even adults, would have paid no mind to your father's symptoms. You were very astute in realizing the seriousness of the situation. Plus, giving your father that aspirin was a smart move on your part. Your parents should consider themselves lucky that you were there today."

"We're lucky to have him around every day," David grinned with a shine of pride in his eyes. Lance slowly shuffled back and forth a bit.

"Thank you," he mumbled. The doctor nodded and turned back toward David and Carolyn.

"Now, I want you to remember, Mr. Sweets that this incident was brought on by having too many stressors," Williamson continued. "You need to think about your wife and son, and realize that it is critical that you lower the stress level in your life. If you persist in trying to keep up this pace, the next time you come here you may never leave, if you catch my drift."

"I understand," David said gravely.

"Good, now let me go over some of the tests that we will need to do while you're here…"

The doctor began to outline the tests that they would be performing on David before he could leave and the lifestyle changes David would need to make after he left the hospital. While he talked, no one noticed when Lance slipped out of the room.

* * *

Walking along the hallways, Lance felt like he was underwater. He could vaguely hear voices and sounds around him, and could see people moving, but it all seemed muffled and murky to his senses. He kept stumbling along until he came to an empty room with some chairs. He plopped down onto one of the chairs and stared at the wall.

The doctor's words kept running through his mind over and over again.

'_Too many stressors…too much stress…'_

'_Dad's in the hospital…he could have died…all because he had too much stress,'_ Lance thought to himself.

'_Too many stressors…'_

'_Stressors like having to work hard so that he can pay for someone's expensive private school and build up a college fund.'_

'_Stressors like having to deal with someone's personal and emotional crises day after day, year after year.'_

'_Stressors like trying so hard to love someone who has only been ungrateful, selfish, and angry since the day he met them.'_

Lance put his head in his hands and wept again.

'_I'm killing him…I'm killing my father.' _


	42. Year Nine, Escalation, part 1

Author's Note: Next section. Warning though...this section will be very dark...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you, as always, to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Aysel Maha**: Thank you again. :D I planned out this story for a month or two before I even began to write it, so I'm glad that you enjoy all the work that went into it. Granted, it was fun to write too...I'm sure I'll feel nostalgia for it once I'm done, but I don't want to carry it past what I've already got planned out...Well, as you've already seen, I've got a lot more Sweets fics up my sleeve...;)

**TimeWitch16**: Again, I enjoyed your update. And as for what inspires Sweets to become a psychologist, well the answer will show itself in this year and in the upcoming Year Ten (I changed my mind and decided to add it). Hope you enjoy the rest of the ride....;)

**Buttercups3**: I got your PM and plan on visiting your collection of Sweets fics :D...And you're exactly right. Depression can twist a person's thinking around, making them unaware of the people around them....Hope you enjoy the rest of my work...;)

**Fear Herself**: Unfortunately, this chapter is quite a bit darker...thus even heavier....I plan on lightening up again soon though....

**Dukefan1982**: Unfortunately as I mentioned to **Buttercups3**, depression has a nasty habit of distorting a person's thinking processes and view of the world...but don't worry, I'm still following canon....

Year Nine—Escalation—part 1

While David watched Lance push his food around his plate instead of eat it, he frowned because he knew that things were not improving.

It had been two months since David had had his heart attack. After spending three days in the hospital, David went to his boss and informed him that he was considering an early retirement. Desperate to not lose him completely, his boss countered with another offer.

'_David, why don't you take a few months off to rest? Then, I would like you to think about maybe still working with us but on a part-time consulting basis. You could work at home again like you did before and your hours will be very light, I promise.'_

David agreed to take six months off to think it over and promised his boss that he would give his proposal serious consideration.

The first couple of weeks home, he concentrated on just resting. David didn't realize how exhausted he truly was until he had all this time to relax. Carolyn fussed over him and insisted that he take it easy. Sometimes she almost carried her nurturing to an extreme, but David didn't really mind. He knew it was her way of dealing with what happened, and that it would pass as he got stronger again.

David's reaction had been to not only take time off work, but to re-think his life in general. He was still making plans for Lance's future in college, but now he was beginning to wonder if it was the best thing for him.

'_He still needs us…even though he is growing up fast, he still needs that support,' _David thought. '_How can we give it to him if he's hundreds of miles away?'_ He sighed deeply; he wanted Lance to have the opportunity to grow, but he wanted him to not be so fragile while he did it. It was then that he realized that he and Carolyn may need to make some adjustments to their long term plans.

Lance's reaction had been quite different from theirs. Ever since David came home, Lance seemed to shut down in almost every way. He stopped being moody and belligerent. In fact he hardly showed any emotion at all. He barely spoke, but not in a sullen way. More like he didn't have anything else to say anymore. He didn't eat very much and David suspected that he wasn't getting much sleep either. It was almost as if his son was sleepwalking through life.

About a week ago, Lance had graduated from high school. He was the valedictorian of his class, but he begged his parents to be excused from participating in commencement. His pleas were so desperate and intense, that David and Carolyn quickly relented and arranged it so that Lance received his diploma privately with just his parents and Dean Fry present.

It had still been a proud moment for the Sweets. Carolyn kept hugging Lance and telling him how happy she was for him; David couldn't stop grinning and told his son that he was proud of him more than once. Secretly, David was relieved; he hoped that now that Lance was out of high school and away from the teenagers who gave him grief, his mood would lift.

Unfortunately that did not turn out to be the case at all. Now that he had no more reasons to interact with the rest of the world, Lance spent most of his time alone in his room with the door shut. For the past week, he barely left it other than to use the bathroom and to perform what Lance called "eating" and his father called "pretending to eat".

Concerned that this was not just a phase, David made a call to Doctor Murray that night after dinner. While Murray expressed concern over Lance's behavior, he seemed convinced that Lance just needed to stop spending so much time alone.

'_Do an activity with him that he loves,' _Murray suggested_. 'He needs that opportunity to get his mind off all the pressures he just had to endure with your recent illness and the high school experience. An entertaining evening with the two of you may be just what he needs.'_

Before hanging up with him though, Murray did caution David to keep a close eye on Lance, and to call him again if anything came up.

After thinking it over for a day, David decided to surprise Lance with an evening of movies and Chinese food. He and Carolyn were able to come up with a short list of films that Lance had expressed interest in seeing and made plans to spend the evening with him the next day.

* * *

When tomorrow came, David and Carolyn finished their daily chores early and by afternoon were ready to get the movies and food. Carolyn went out to the car, and David went up to check on Lance before they left.

He opened the door to find Lance curled up on his bed with his eyes closed, he appeared to be sleeping. David smiled a little, he was glad to see Lance getting some rest. He knew that he could use it. He walked over and very gently began to stroke Lance's hair.

"You just rest, Lance," he whispered. "Just rest and we will be back later. Then we will have some fun." He pulled Lance's comforter over him and tucked him in.

"Sweet dreams, sport," he said. David then quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as David left though, Lance opened his eyes and began to cry. These days, he always waited until he was alone to cry. After what happened to David, Lance decided that he didn't want to drag his parents into his misery anymore. As he wept, Lance's mind drifted back to his last couple of months of high school.

* * *

Buoyed by the impending freedom from school by either graduation or summer vacation, the bullies in Lance's life escalated their abuse of him. Their taunting grew more frequent and blatant. Trent Bailer, in particular, seemed to be out to get him.

'_I don't care how perfect your precious little grades are, Sweet-stuff. The fact is that you'll always be a loser.'_

Brian was still his friend during this time, but he had his own mounting issues.

'_It all just sucks Lance…All of it, school, life, everything….The same jerks who run everything here, run things in the real world too…They get to coast through life while those of us with brains have to suffer…And in the end we're all just going to die anyway, so what's the point…'_

After Lance's graduation, Brian stopped seeing as much of him, and his contact was limited to occasional phone calls.

The only bright spot outside of home during this time was a recent transfer student that Lance had become friendly with: Amy Emeler. Amy had moved to Lance's school about five months ago and was a year older than him. She was a quiet, studious type and had seemed impressed with Lance's intellect. The two of them had worked on a project for history class together, and Lance had quickly become fond of her. He even tried to work up the nerve to ask her if she would like to get a meal with him sometime outside of school.

Then one day, one of Trent's goons dumped Lance's lunch tray onto his shirt instead of his lap for a change. Fortunately, Amy had not witnessed his humiliation, but he still wanted to see her later, so he decided to change out of his ruined shirt. Lance had taken to carrying an extra uniform with him, just in case of incidents like these.

He went into the bathroom to change, and he had just taken his shirt off when the door to his stall was kicked in and Trent was standing outside of it. He tried to cover up, but Trent grabbed him by the arms and dragged him into the hallway.

'_Come on Sweet-stuff, there's someone who wants to see you,'_ Trent chortled.

'_Leave me alone…let me go,'_ Lance yelled, struggling to get out of Trent's grip. Suddenly, he heard a chorus of loud gasps and Trent abruptly let him go, smirking. Lance turned around to see Amy and a couple of her friends standing there. From the expressions on their faces, Lance could tell that they had seen the scars.

'_Amy…I…I…'_

'_Sorry Lance, I need to…' _

Amy and her friends quickly walked away. Lance's face grew crimson as he realized that this had all been set-up by Trent, who was now laughing at him. He ran back into the bathroom, away from the laughter.

'_Bet she won't want anything to do with you now,'_ Trent yelled after him. _'Now that she sees how messed up you are.'_

Unfortunately, Trent's words proved to be true. Amy never spoke to him again after that.

* * *

Lying on the bed now, the memories still hurt Lance deeply.

'_It's never going to stop…If I go to college, I'll still be the weird, broken kid, who's too young to be there….It will just start all over again…The taunting…the jeering…'_

He thought again of Amy, and how his heart had been broken before he even got a chance. He began to cry harder.

'_Most girls don't even like me…I always say and do the wrong things…even if I could get a girl, she'll never want to touch me…not after she sees my scars…'_

Lance then looked over at his bedside and picked up the framed picture sitting there, holding it in his hands. It was a picture of him with David and Carolyn on one of his birthday outings.

'_Mom and Dad…they're the only ones who ever loved me…who ever __**really **__loved me....'_

Lance found that despite all the darkness, anger and sadness that filled his heart, he still loved them deeply. But his depression was twisting that love into guilt. Guilt over becoming a burden to the parents that he loved so much.

'_They're such kind people…they deserved to have children of their own…children who aren't messed up and broken…children who could make them truly happy…'_

Lance thought again of the day David had a heart attack; his sobs grew even more anguished.

'_I say that I love them, but look how I treat them…look how I treat Dad…he gives me everything, and I just throw it back in his face…he works so hard to give me everything I want or need…and it's killing him.'_

'_So what will you do? How will you correct this mistake?'_

Lance suddenly felt his tears stop and an eerie, cold calm fill him. He slowly sat up in bed.

'_Yes…mistake…that's all this is…that's what all of this is…a mistake…'_

He got up from his bed and left his room, heading for the bathroom.

'_It was a mistake that Lauren found me in that closet…a mistake that Mom and Dad adopted me…'_

He opened up the medicine cabinet and found a bottle of sleeping pills. Carolyn sometimes had a hard time sleeping, especially after David's heart attack. So occasionally, she would take one to help her sleep. Since they were used so infrequently, the bottle was almost full. Lance picked it up and went back to his room, shutting the door.

'_Mom made a mistake when she reached out to me…she should have just thrown that daisy I gave her aside…'_

Lance sat on the bed and opened up the bottle, shaking a couple of pills into his hand.

'_Dad made a mistake when he kept giving me another chance…after I tore up that first swan; he should have just walked away…'_

Decision made, Lance swallowed both of the pills in his hand, gagging a little as they went down. He then quickly kept shoving pills into his mouth, two or three to a time, and swallowing them as fast as he could.

'_Now, I'll correct this mistake, and they'll be free.'_

As he kept downing pills, a small part of him remembered how much his parents said that they loved him. Tears welled up in Lance's eyes, but he didn't stop what he was doing.

'_They'll be sad…of course they'll be sad, they're good people…they care about others…care about me…even though I never gave them a reason to…'_

Having finished all but a couple of the pills in the bottle, Lance suddenly began to feel strange and very weak. He dropped the bottle and collapsed back onto the bed. He gripped the picture from his bedside close to his face. He wanted the smiling faces of David and Carolyn to be the last thing he saw.

'_Don't be sad, Mom and Dad…you're free now…free to love each other and not worry about me…and I can be free too…of Andrew...of the memories…and of this world that has no place for me…'_

Soon Lance couldn't even think straight anymore. He closed his eyes and waited to fall asleep for good.

* * *

A short while later, David and Carolyn came home with the food and the movie rentals. David began to set everything while Carolyn went upstairs to get Lance.

Suddenly David heard a scream. He rushed upstairs to find Carolyn sobbing hysterically, holding an open pill bottle.

On the bed was Lance. His eyelids were open in slits, but all that could be seen were the whites. Vomit was foaming out of his mouth. He was very still and didn't seem to be breathing.

David walked over and grabbed Carolyn firmly by the shoulders and forced him to look at him.

"Carolyn," he nearly shouted at her. "Calm down now. We don't have a second to waste. Call 911 and I'll start CPR on him."

"David...He…he tried to…"

"Carolyn now…Before we lose our son," David interrupted.

She nodded and ran out of the room, breathing hard to control her tears. David dragged Lance to the floor and turned his head to clear out what was in his mouth. He then started to try to resuscitate him. He had learned CPR years ago. When he finally became a parent, David had decided that it would be a good idea to learn first aid.

But he never imagined that he would have to use it to try to save his son from a suicide attempt.

'_Please sport…we love you so much…please don't leave us…'_


	43. Year Nine, Escalation, part 2

Author's Note: Next part. As I've mentioned to a couple other people, I changed my mind and decided to have a Year Ten. It won't be as dark as all this.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. So no hitting, please. ;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: The intensity will not be so much for this chapter, but trust me, the one after it will ramp things back up...it will also be very revealing....thanks again for all your reviews. ;)

**Buttercups3**: I wanted to build toward it, so yeah, you can see it coming....thank you again and hopefully the new updates will ease the pain a little. ;)

**Iconcurvehemently**: Um...not sure how to take that. ;) But hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of the ride. Thanks again. :D

**Cobalt6233**: I hope you enjoy this chapter, but I think you will find the next one interesting too since I'm addressing those "dark thoughts" that Lance is prone to...

**TheVulcanPrincess**: And thank you for your review. :D Hopefully you'll enjoy where I take things next.

**Dukefan1982**: Just keep telling yourself "Rochelle always follows canon when possible". ;) Thanks for the review.

**Fear Herself**: Ok, I won't leave you with that cliffhanger...how about this one instead? :D

**TimeWitch16**: Oh I agree with you, but it's amazing how angry, depressed people can twist logic to suit their purposes....I actually have already made references to Sweets' first relationship in two of my other stories (The Doubt in the Doctor, The Question of the Intern) and thus I did plan to cover it in this story as well. But you'll have to wait until Year Thirteen.....And in Year Nine, David is sixty and Carolyn is fifty-eight.

**Spiceitup2007**: Sorry about that. ;) But I'm addicted, I can't stop writing. :D And as mentioned, I plan to stop around the time Sweets starts working for the FBI and after his parents die, but will give no more details than that...And in my figuring, Sweets did not move in with the girl in question (which I've deduced to be April from everything that was said on the show) until after his parents died. At least that's how it will be in my timeline.

**Fatewalker**: Oh no problem about the review thing. I understand how it can take a while to catch up....And thank you. My two favorite forms of fanfiction are angst and fluff. Thus, I love to combine the two in my work. ;D

**Not an infant**: Well, what's helped a lot with preventing writer's block is that I planned this story out before I wrote it. I actually had over a hundred pages written out before I joined this site and started posting. Also, I try to keep more than one project going so that if I do get stuck, I can spark my creativity elsewhere...Thanks again, ;)

**Aysel Maha**: Thank you :D You actually hit on one of the reasons that I wrote this...So many writers only focused on the dark abusive past Sweets had before he was adopted. While there were some good stories, I wanted to go over all the other kinds of struggles that I'm sure he faced as well as how he learned to get past them after he was adopted...thank you again for your support. :D

Year Nine—Escalation—part 2

Carolyn sat silently in the recovery room and watched her son. They had managed to get him help in time, but the doctors warned them that it had been a close call. Now Lance was lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, and with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. She was able to find some small comfort in being able to watch the clear plastic of the mask fog up briefly each time he breathed. It was a more reassuring sign that he was alive than the beeping of the machines he was hooked up to.

She got up from the chair, her joints protesting from sitting there for so long, and sat down on the edge of the bed. She stroked Lance's hair and cheek. But then she sniffled again when she reached for his hand and her fingers brushed along the restraints on his wrist.

When they had first been brought into the room to see Lance, David had noticed the restraining cuffs on his son's ankles and wrists right away and had been disturbed by them.

'_What is this? Why is my son tied to the bed?'_

'_Mr. Sweets, your son tried to kill himself…'_

'_I'm aware of that,' David had snapped. 'That doesn't mean he needs to be tied up like an animal.'_

'_It's just a precautionary measure. We need to make sure that he will not hurt himself further while we treat him.'_

As she twirled Lance's limp fingers into her own, Carolyn remembered what the doctor had said to them when he came to check on his condition.

'_Mr. and Mrs. Sweets…I think you need to consider committing your son to an institution.'_

Carolyn remembered being hurt and crying when the doctor said that to her.

'_No…our baby doesn't belong in an institution. He belongs with us…with people who love him and see him for the wonderful person he truly is…'_

David had been angered and also dismissed the idea.

'_Lance is not insane…He's confused and depressed. Putting him in a place like that will only make him feel rejected again. Much like when he was repeatedly sent back to the orphanage when he was a child.'_

Looking down at Lance's too pale face, Carolyn wondered how things had gotten to this point. Memories of her son from the last eight years started to re-play in her mind.

She remembered his birthdays with cake and presents. Christmases spent decorating the house and sharing in holiday dinners. Vacations where they drove along the countryside or just sat and enjoyed a sunset together.

But more than that, Carolyn remembered the little things. All the little ways that she and David had tried to let their son know that he was loved. And the little things that Lance did to let them know how much he loved them in return.

Her mind drifted back to one incident in particular. She had caught a fever once, and had to stay in bed for a week. David had taken time off from work and took care of all the household chores. Lance, who was nine by this point, spent all the time he wasn't in school at her bedside, watching over her. He would read to her from whatever book she was working on at the time.

'_Relax Mom…you always read to me…Now I'll keep you company…'_

He would read to her until she fell asleep. Often when she woke up, he was still there, asking her if there was anything she needed. When she tried to persuade him that he didn't have to stay there, he would just smile at her.

'_Don't worry Mom…Dad and I will take care of you…It's ok…'_

Back in the present, Carolyn felt her eyes water up and she gripped her son's hand while remembering the love that had been in his words.

'_Our baby has such a gentle heart with so much love…why does he have to hurt so much?'_

A sound at the doorway made Carolyn turn around. She watched David come in and she got up to meet him. The two of them embraced briefly and then walked back over to the bed.

"I talked to the doctor again," David said. "He believes that there will be no lasting effects from the overdose and that Lance will wake up any time now."

"I wish I had never bought those pills," Carolyn said, shaking her head. David came up behind her and put his arms around her again.

"Carolyn…I know it's tempting to blame yourself for what happened...God knows, I keep asking myself what I could have done differently…but please don't do that to yourself. It's not your fault."

"It's not your fault either, David," she said leaning against him and taking his hand. "I…I don't know if it's even Lance's fault…He…David, I don't think he really knew what he was doing. He was just trying to escape pain." Carolyn turned to face him and held him closer.

"I don't care what the doctors say…Lance is not crazy," she said. David began to rub his wife's back.

"You're right…he's not," he said. "And I'm not going to let them put our son away somewhere…I understand what their reasoning is, but I also know that, more than anyone else in the world, we know our son…and what's best for him."

"Do we really?" Carolyn said, starting to weep again. "I mean I knew that he was hurting, but I never thought that he would…I…I just don't know what to think anymore."

"Carolyn, you've been in here for hours now. Why don't you take a break?" David said. "I'll stay here with him." Carolyn nodded and wiped her eyes.

"All right. I'll be back in a little while," she mumbled as she walked out of the room. After watching her leave, David turned back to Lance and frowned. He walked back to the bed and began to remove the restraints from his son's wrists and ankles.

'_Lance doesn't need these…he needs love and understanding….not condemnation and punishment for what he did.'_

When he was finished, he sat down in the spot Carolyn had occupied and took Lance's hand into his. Lance groaned and shifted in bed a little, but did not wake up. David noticed how he seemed a bit more relaxed and imagined that he was more comfortable now that he could move freely. As he watched him sleep, David tried to deal with the conflicting thoughts and feelings inside him.

He had meant it when he told Carolyn to not blame herself for their son's suicide attempt. And deep down, he knew that she was right in telling him that he was not to blame either. But a part of him still wondered what he could have done to prevent this.

'_If I could have just said the right words…the right words to make him realize how much we love him…the right words to give him the strength to get through life…'_

Like Carolyn, David wasn't sure what to think or feel anymore. The only thing he was sure of was that sitting here, holding his son's hand, gave him resolve.

'_Whether we want to face it or not…Lance will die one way or another unless we do something…things cannot continue on like they have been.'_

David suddenly remembered that time years ago when Doctor Murray asked him if it was worth all this pain to love Lance. That thought triggered a thousand other memories of his son over the years.

'_I love you Dad.'_

It was a sentence that Lance had said to him many times over the years, and every time it meant just as much to David as the first time he heard him say it.

Glancing up at his son's sleeping form; he knew that his answer to Murray's question was the same now as it was all those years ago. Tears in his eyes, he leaned over and kissed his son on the forehead.

"And I still love you, sport," he whispered. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you get better. I promise."

David sat back up and rubbed the wetness out of his eyes. What he was considering would require some sacrifices on his and Carolyn's parts, but he was sure that she would be just as willing as him to do what was necessary.

* * *

Almost two days later, Lance was staring out a car window in the passenger seat of his mother's car while she drove him. The two of them were heading home.

Lance had barely said a word since he regained consciousness at the hospital, and David and Carolyn had not said much either. After being examined by the doctor when he was awake, Lance had spent close to an hour crying in his mother's arms. Carolyn didn't speak much then other than to tell him that she loved him. She simply held him while he wept.

Lance couldn't remember a time when his feelings were so confused. He didn't know if he was angry that his parents had found him and stopped him from dying, sad that he was still in pain, or relieved that they had saved him once again.

A feeling he was sure of though, was fear at how stoic David had been the last couple of days. Lance was used to David being very open with his thoughts and feelings. But this time he showed very little of what was on his mind or in his heart. In fact, David was often missing on what Carolyn called "important business".

In some ways, however, Lance wondered if that was for the best. He didn't know what he would say to David if he did try to talk to him.

'_What do you say to your dad after you try to kill yourself?"Sorry Dad…it's not that big a deal"?'_

This atmosphere of somber silence was difficult for everyone, but no one seemed to know how to break it up.

Lance was also surprised that he was going home today. He knew that he was strong enough to leave the hospital, but he figured that they would try to lock him up somewhere because of what he did. Instead, earlier this morning, Carolyn came in with a change of clothes for him and informed him that they were going home.

The entire trip home, Lance kept wondering where his dad was. He hadn't seen him all day and it scared him.

'_What if this was it? The last straw? What if he doesn't want to have anything to do with me now?'_

'_Who can blame him, after everything I've done?'_

* * *

Eventually, they arrived home, and Carolyn parked the car in the garage. After getting out, Lance was startled when his mom took his hand and walked into the house with him. Once inside, she pulled him into an embrace and kissed his cheek. Lance held her back, but he also shook with nervousness.

"Mom?"

"Don't be scared, baby," she said gently. "I just want you to know that your father and I love you. And we want what's best for you and what will make you happy. Remember that."

"I…I love you too Mom," he whispered. Carolyn nodded and let him go, but she then grabbed his hand again and guided him toward the family room.

Walking in, Lance was surprised to see his father waiting for him on the couch.

"Come sit with us, sport," he said. "Please."

Lance complied and let Carolyn maneuver him to sit between her and David. He then looked over to see Doctor Murray sitting in a chair across from them.

"Lance," the psychiatrist said. "This is what we call an intervention. Your intervention. And it's a long time in coming."


	44. Year Nine, Escalation, part 3

Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. Sorry it took so long to update. Oh and I can confirm now that there will be a Year Ten, and then a Year Eleven. This chapter will be a bit dark...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. *sigh* ;)

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It really does mean a lot to me. :D

**Cwgirlup**: Exactly what I had been thinking actually. It's the sort of thing I could picture finally getting through to him.

**Iconcurvehemently**: I had a feeling, I was just having fun. ;) I'm not used to a two letter review...Anyway, thank you again for all your reviews. :)

**TimeWitch16**: Murray will probably be my most used side character...Don't be surprised if he appears again after this section. ;) As for the suicide attempt...this again was a guess on my part inferred from some of the things that Sweets said on the show, from his personality and from some of his interactions with Booth, Brennan and the others...And thank you again for reviewing so often. ;D

**Not an infant**: I agree, but this was a case when I was deferring to the Sweets' age and defensiveness of Lance. Even though I believe that they were probably pretty progressive as parents, keep in my that when they were growing up being institutionalized was not thought of as therapeutic. Plus, when they had first met Lance, Lauren had told them that the orphanage was thinking of having him institutionalized before they adopted him. This probably makes them more than a bit defensive at the idea. But yeah, obviously there is a time and place for that sort of thing...

**Fear Herself**: I'm sorry, I just can't help myself with the cliffhangers as my work here and on TNotM indicate. ;) I like having people anticipate the next chapter. :D But I am looking forward to more of TPitP and hopefully I'm updating everything fast enough for you.

**Buttercups3**: *gulp* Be gentle with me, I'm still an undergraduate student in psychology. ;) But I'm glad you enjoyed it and hopefully you will enjoy the flurry of updates today and for the rest of this week. Thank you again for your support of my work. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. :D Oh and I hope you had a fun birthday.

**Dukefan1982**: Well, I think this chapter will be rather dark in its implications, but yes, things will be getting better for a while.

**Aysel Maha**: I hadn't thought about that until you mentioned it...But it makes sense. Sweets does care about Brennan and would want to do something that worked for him, so having an intervention with the person he feels respects his profession the most (Cam) makes perfect sense...Mayhem on the Cross is one of my all-time favorite episodes (shocking, huh? ;D ) and that scene with Wyatt spoke volumes about Sweets, I think. I even mention that quote you brought up in the first chapter of this story...so yes, it was an inspiration to me...And I did update TNotM, but I think you will still be on the edge of your seat. ;) Thanks again for your reviews.

Year Nine—Escalation—part 3

At Murray's words, Lance narrowed his eyes, but the psychiatrist ignored his expression and pressed forward.

"Let me say upfront that I'm sorry for letting things go this far," he said. "I thought you were ready to leave therapy. It's painfully clear now that you weren't and I cannot apologize enough to you or your parents for that mistake." Murray then leaned toward Lance, his face serious.

"However, I'm determined to start correcting that mistake right now," he continued. "And it's time that you start realizing what your mistakes are doing to the people that love you."

Lance said nothing, just clenched his hands tight enough to turn his knuckles white and stared at the carpet. He shrank away from both of his parents.

"You need to start seeing the pattern in your behavior," Murray said. "Every time your parents open themselves up to you, you push away. And then when life gets too difficult for you, you run away."

"What do you mean, run away?" Lance said through gritted teeth. "There was only that one time when…"

"The day you met your father you tried to push him away," Murray said, cutting him off. "He reached out to you and you responded by acting out. You kept testing him because you couldn't believe that someone would want to care for you that way." Lance looked down, his face turning red.

"Then when Andrew threatened you during your adoption hearing, you retreated again," the psychiatrist added. "You knew what he did was wrong, but you let your fear dominate you. Instead of going to the staff or telling your parents or your lawyer, you shut yourself down completely." That caused Lance to look up with rage in his eyes.

David also grew angry at the therapist's words. Murray had told him ahead of time that he wasn't going to hold anything back and that he would be saying some things that would be hard to listen to. Even though he had tried to prepare himself for that, David found that he couldn't squash down all the anger that Murray's words brought forth. But he did remain silent.

"When faced with possible rivals for your parents' affection in the form of their niece and nephew, you literally run away and don't tell anyone where you are for days. I wonder if you considered what was going through their minds during that time," Murray said.

That made Lance look back down, and Carolyn could see that his shoulders were starting to shake. She reached out to him, but Lance shrugged away from her touch.

"And now you go and commit the ultimate act of running away from your family," Murray said. "You attempt to take your own life. Has it occurred to you yet that this habit of running away is destructive and needs to stop?" Murray leaned back in his chair.

"Carolyn, please tell Lance how you felt while walking in on his suicide attempt," Murray said gently. Carolyn sniffled, but did take a deep breath and looked over at Lance.

"I…I felt guilty," she said. "I saw that you had taken my sleeping pills and I wondered if I could ever forgive myself for letting them in the house. I…I don't think I would have forgiven myself if you had died that night." She stopped to brush the tears that were running down her cheeks away.

"Go on," Murray encouraged softly.

"I was so scared," she said. "Scared that I was going to lose my precious boy. I love you so much…you mean everything to me. I don't want to face a life without you. I wish you knew how much your father and I had longed for a child in our lives. That night…I had to watch the son we had spent years wishing for lay dying on the floor of my own home." Carolyn's voice suddenly hitched and she had to stop for a moment to catch a breath before she could continue.

"And I was hurt," she said. "I kept wondering why you would do that to us. I thought that maybe you didn't love us or that our love wasn't enough. Not enough to stop you from trying to leave us and from breaking our hearts….Didn't you know how we would feel if you…if you had…?"

Carolyn finally stopped, unable to go on and wept. David took her hand to comfort her, which she clasped tightly. Lance still wouldn't look at anyone or speak, but David could see that he was starting to cry as well.

"David, it's your turn," Murray said. David nodded and looked over at his son while not letting go of his wife's hand.

"I was angry," David said somberly. "Angry at you because you chose to not tell me what you were dealing with. I thought you trusted me, but then rather than tell me what was bothering you, you decide to…" David shook himself, unable to finish his thought.

"And I was angry at myself for not seeing how much pain you were in and for worrying more about my own health and about your academic future than about how you were feeling inside." He felt his eyes sting with fresh tears, but ignored them.

"I felt…empty," he said. "Like there was a void in my heart. Even as I tried to save you that night…a part of me thought that I had already lost you. I was too late and now my son was gone, all because I didn't act sooner. I kept wishing…I wanted it to be me on that floor dying and not you."

Lance finally gave an audible sob at his father's words and hid his face in his hands. David noticed it, and swallowed hard before continuing.

"And I felt sorrow. Sorrow that the boy who I'm proud to call my son thought that the world would be better off without him. I look at you, Lance, and I see how you have so much to offer the world, and I wonder why I can't help you see that too."

"Lance," Murray said, reaching over to tap him on the forearm. Lance looked up at him, his face red and splotchy from weeping.

"Your parents just told you how they felt that night, and I can assure you that those thoughts and feelings are very similar to what they went through every other time you tried to run away from them. So what I need to know is this: how do you feel when faced with their feelings and with the pattern of your actions?"

At first Lance didn't say anything. He closed his eyes and his breathing got heavier. He started to tremble again.

"Lance?" the psychiatrist said tentatively.

Suddenly, Lance jumped to his feet and moved to face his parents and his former therapist in the middle of the room. Despite the additional tears running down his cheeks, the dominant emotion that was written on his face was rage.

"You want to know how I feel? Is that it? You want to know how I really feel?" he spat at them. Murray showed no reaction to Lance's attitude and simply nodded. David and Carolyn also nodded, but both of them struggled to not cry again.

"Well then maybe I should tell you how I felt during some points in my life since you are so fond of bringing up the past," Lance said, his anger mounting. "You know how I felt when Andrew would grab me by the arm and start beating me until I begged him to stop? Sad. Sad that I was too stupid to figure out what he wanted and sad because I knew that I was never going to be good enough for him or anyone else." Lance shuddered after that sentence, but he quickly started up again.

"And do you want to know how I felt when Lauren found me in that closet? Angry. Angry because she was trying to save me and I didn't want to be saved. I wanted to just be left alone so that I could die and be free of the miserable existence that my life was. But when I saw her, I just knew that she was going to have some doctor fix me up and then it would just start all over again."

Carolyn began to weep again at his words, and David put his arm around her. But Lance ignored his parents' distress.

"How about how I felt at the orphanage?" he said. "The staff? They tried to get away with interacting with me as little as possible. The other kids? They could see how messed-up I was and wanted nothing to do with me. And then all those foster families…I didn't know them and they didn't care to know me. But I was just expected to 'fit in' anyway. I was so scared, and all I could think about was what Andrew had done to me, but they didn't care. Then when they were done with me, they'd just send me back to the orphanage." Lance moved closer to Murray and glared at him.

"Do you know what it's like to be rejected and sent back, like a toy that's defective, over and over again?" he asked him.

"But that's not it's always been, has it?" Murray countered. "David and Carolyn found you and brought you into their lives. They built you a life out of love."

"You think that was the end of it?" Lance fumed at him. "You think that just because they took me in that I was able to escape him? Escape what he did?" He then turned to the Sweets, his eyes filled with tears and fury.

"Do you know what I hear in my head every day?" he asked them. "I hear…dark thoughts. They come to me when I hear kids making fun of me, bullying me or when they avoid me all together. But often they just come at me from nowhere…I know, crazy right?" Lance choked back more tears before going on.

"These dark thoughts…they tell me how bad and worthless I am. How I don't deserve anything good and how I bring nothing but pain into this world. No matter how many times you say you love me, I can't erase them, can't escape them. And do you know what they sound like? They all sound like Andrew's voice…I can't get it out of my head…I can't even get my mind to slow down so that I can even try to push him out…"

"Lance, when you say that you can't slow your mind down, what do you mean?" Murray asked, suddenly concerned.

"I…I get all these thoughts…things I learn in books and at school…things people tell me…my own ideas and feelings…they run through my brain so fast sometimes that I can't relax. I can't even sleep, sometimes. I don't know what I'm thinking or feeling. It's all just…jumbled up, but Andrew's voice is still there in the background, trying to drown me…" Lance put his face in his hands.

"I…I must be going crazy…I must be…I just want it to stop…please make it stop."

David stood up, tears in his eyes and walked over to Lance. He put his hands on his son's shoulders causing him to look up at him.

"Lance, we're sorry," he said. "We didn't know it was like that for you. We had no idea. But you're not crazy, sport. You're just confused and hurting is all. I promise you that your mother and I will do whatever it takes to help you get through this." David then embraced Lance firmly.

"We still love you, Lance," he said gently. But Lance struggled to escape David's embrace.

"No…no…Stop it," he cried. "I don't want you to save me…Don't you understand?...Let me go..."

But David continued to hold onto him.

When he found that he couldn't wriggle out of his arms, Lance actually started to hit David's shoulders and back with his fists, trying to get him to loosen his hold. But the blows were half-hearted and weak, and David still refused to let his son go.

Eventually, Lance gave up, and instead began to cling to David, burying his face into his shoulder and sobbing harder.

"Why?" he kept asking over and over again. "Why can't I stop hurting? Why do you keep saving me?" Lance's legs started to crumple under him, and David quickly led him back to the couch to sit with him. There, Carolyn also put her arms around Lance from behind, and the Sweets held their son between them for a long while, letting him cry.

"I don't know why so many people have hurt you," David finally said. "If we could, your mother and I would gladly have taken each and every hurt you've suffered in your place. Unfortunately, all we can do is try to give you the love and strength you need so that you can find the courage to work through it all." David held his son closer.

"As to why we keep saving you…it's because you're our son and we love you," he said. "But just as important as that is the fact that you are a person who was always worth saving. No matter what others have told you, you are a good, kind, intelligent person that the world needs."

Lance was finally able to stop sobbing and sat up to look at them.

"I love you Mom and Dad," he whispered. "And…I'm sorry for what I've done."

"We will always forgive you, baby," Carolyn said, kissing his cheek. Then they each took one of Lance's hands and faced Murray.

"Lance…while I'm glad you are sharing this with us now, you should have told us earlier," the psychiatrist said. "There was no reason why you had to go through that alone."

"I'm sorry," Lance said.

"You don't have to apologize to me," Murray said. "What's important now is that you see how imperative it is that you tell us these things, and that you see that we can only help you fix this if you let us do so. Now, both I and your parents have a proposal for you, and I hope you will accept both of them." Murray leaned toward Lance again.

"I would like you to consider going back into therapy for a short while," he said. "I just want to go over a couple of the things you've brought up today. I'm sure that I can help you deal with your memories of Andrew and his influence on your psyche. Plus, I can teach you some techniques to help you quiet your mind when you get overwhelmed."

"I…I want to do it. I want to go back, please," Lance nodded.

"Good…and David?" Murray said. Lance turned back toward his parents.

"Sport…we want you to put aside thinking about academics, college and your future for a while," David said. "Just let your mother and I handle all that for now. During this summer, we want you to just focus on getting better, and on being a kid." David reached over and tousled Lance's hair.

"You're only fourteen…it's time you took some time off to be the child that you are. And we're sorry that you haven't had as much time as you should have for that before, but we would like to make it up to you now. Then we can see where we should go from there. What do you say, Lance?"

For the first time that day, Lance smiled.

"Thanks, Dad…I'd…I'd really like to do that…for a while…"


	45. Year Ten, Reflection, part 1

Author's Note: Well, I know that it's been a while, but here is the next chapter which also starts Year Ten. This will be a shorter year in the vein of Year Three and, much like the title implies, will be more reflective.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. No matter how much I may wish otherwise...

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Cwgirlup**: While there may be some...bumps along the way, I think you will find that, starting here, things are going to start to improve...

**Buttercups3**: Thank you. :D I had been planning that chapter for a while, so I'm glad it worked out. Things won't be so emotionally intense for a while, but I hope you will enjoy future chapters...I know that I will be a little teary-eyed myself when I get ready to post the last chapter of this. This being my first fanfiction and the longest thing I've ever written and all...Thank you for all your reviews and I hope your move is going well. ;)

**Fatewalker**: I think you will see some of that transition toward his adult self in this section. As to your other question, check out the note at the end...

**TimeWitch16**: And thank you for your frequent reviews...This last semester I had taken a developmental psychology course and had actually written a paper on adoption of abused children. So I was able to draw a lot from my studies to help with this...I hope that I can continue to "wow" you in future chapters. ;D

**Cobalt6233**: Thank you for your recent flurry of reviews on my work. :D It really made my day that day...Just so you'll know, these chapters will not be so intense, but I'm hoping you'll enjoy them. ;)

**Fear Herself**: Thanks. :D And as much as I don't want to push myself, I was a little dismayed at how much I struggled to get to this chapter. Hopefully things are back on track now...

**Dukefan1982**: Again, it's fine. I understand about slow internet. I still have dial-up where I live and have to go out to places with free wi-fi get decent internet speed. And yes, like you predicted the time away does end up being what he needed...

**FOR ALL THOSE CURIOUS ABOUT THIS STORY'S TIMELINE, PLEASE TAKE NOTE**: I plan on running this story to about the time that Sweets starts his time at the FBI. I won't go into more detail since I want to not telegraph the ending too much.

Year Ten—Reflection—part 1

Having finally finished his homework, Lance closed his textbooks and sat down in a chair near the window to watch the sun begin to set. He fell into a meditative state, much like the one he would go into after getting up in the morning these days.

It had been Murray's suggestion. During his last, short round of therapy the previous year, the psychiatrist had a talk with him about learning to deal with the speed and complexity of his mind's inner workings.

'_Lance, what you're describing is not uncommon for children with gifts like yours. Despite your high intellect, you're still developing in many ways, thus your thoughts can get "tangled up" so to speak. But there are ways that you can learn to improve your concentration and your focus. Plus, I believe that you will also find that as you finally work through your past and learn to replace Andrew's voice with the ones from your parents', you will find it easier to be calm and your thoughts will organize naturally.'_

One of the techniques that Murray had suggested was meditation, and Lance soon found himself looking forward to his quiet time in the mornings when he could clear his mind. But for now, Lance was content to think back on the memories of his previous summer with his parents.

* * *

It had been one of the happiest times of his life, partially because he had felt like a child again. David and Carolyn had strongly encouraged Lance to put aside all academic pursuits and focus on having fun. The first week, Lance mainly slept in and played video games for hours, but soon he moved on from activities like that. Many days were spent in some sort of family bonding. There were evenings where Carolyn would prepare a feast of snacks and they would settle in for an evening of board games and card games.

Other nights, they ordered some sort of take-out and spent all night watching movies in the family room. This was one of Lance's favorite activities. By the end, he usually ended up falling asleep before all the movies were over, but that was fine with him. His new favorite place to fall asleep was nestled between David and Carolyn on the couch; it reminded him of how he felt as a small boy when he slept with them at night: safe, secure and loved. The Sweets always saw this coming. When they noticed Lance becoming drowsy, they would gently encourage him to lean against one of them and let him curl up to sleep, placing a blanket around him. They would then finish watching their movie while they held their child between them.

Lance also spent some time on his own. He would go for long walks in the neighborhood or spend time in the tree in his front yard so that he could think. The difference in these times versus when he did these things before was that instead of trying to escape the world, he was enjoying the chance to observe it again. Just like he did when he was a very young boy, staring out the window at the people who would pass him by.

In fact he returned to more than one of his childhood joys that summer. Growing up, Lance had been a voracious reader, and he rediscovered that passion during this time. He spent hours lost in books. But like so many things during that time, he found that he preferred relaxing with a stack of books while sitting with David and Carolyn as they enjoyed their own quiet activities than hiding out in his room. Often Lance and his parents would do things spontaneously, letting their moods guide their activities. Once the three of them had even laid out in the back yard on a particularly sunny and clear afternoon and watched the clouds go by, giving names to the shapes they saw in them. It was a simple, but immensely enjoyable way to wile away the time.

* * *

Back in the present, Lance stood and stacked up his books and papers on his desk so that they would be ready for classes tomorrow. While he did it, he smiled again at all the happy memories that he had from that summer. It had been a time where he re-connected with the Sweets and now he felt even closer to them than before. That closeness sustained him when therapy became grueling and gave him a sense of peace the rest of the time. In fact, it was during that time that Lance's psyche finally had started to heal.

But then he also thought about all the changes that started around that time that led him to where he was right now.

* * *

During that summer, Lance had agreed to go back to therapy, and it had been truly rewarding for him. They started off with twice weekly sessions in the first month and then went back down to once a week for the rest of the summer. The first few sessions had been tense with Murray continuing to hammer home the idea that Lance needed to hold nothing else back in regards to what he was thinking and feeling. The result was that sometimes the sessions would end with Lance in tears, but this time it was cathartic as opposed to oppressive. The psychiatrist even brought in David and Carolyn occasionally to discuss things as a family. But soon, Lance found that talking things out with them proved to be very therapeutic and had almost looked forward to each session.

One session that Lance knew he would never forget was the session where he apologized to his parents for trying to take his own life.

'_Mom, Dad…I'm sorry that I was so selfish and short-sighted. I wasn't thinking straight and I didn't really consider your feelings…Thank you for saving me and continuing to love me. I owe you everything….And I love you both so much…'_

_

* * *

_Looking back on it now, Lance was glad that he had done that. As his mind began to clear as a result of his depression beginning to lift, he realized that he had hurt them a great deal and had felt guilty about it. He knew that they forgave him, but he wanted to make things up to them, starting with an apology. Then he spent the rest of the summer finding any way he could to let them know how much he loved them.

After completing what would be his last round of therapy with Murray, he then knew what the next step would have to be: going to college.

* * *

Lance knew that David had continued to make arrangements for him to go to college even though they did not discuss it much beyond his father asking him what kinds of colleges he wanted to go to. Lance knew that his father was merely leaving the option open for him and did not want to pressure him in any way. But even without any pressure from his parents and despite the fact that he had truly had had fun over the summer, Lance knew that he did not want to carry on that way for any longer. He had missed the world of academia and learning. Plus this time off had given him a new perspective and he found himself looking forward to the rest of his life and the challenges that awaited him. He wanted to explore and see what was out there.

However, a part of Lance had not wanted the summer to end. This time period had reminded him of how much he loved David and Carolyn, and he found that he didn't want to give up the newly strengthened bond that he shared with them so soon. Lance knew that it was normal for a child to grow up and eventually leave his parents, but he did not feel ready for that at all.

But when he told them about his decision to go ahead and go to college in the fall, they had a surprise for him: they were going with him.

'_Please don't think that we don't believe in you or your ability to handle college,' David had told him. 'But we just don't think it's in your best interest to go there alone, at least not for now. We want to help you adjust to your new life for the first couple of years. Then if things go well and you're ready, we will leave you on your own.'_

_David and Carolyn both put their arms around Lance's shoulders at this point._

'_And to be honest, sport, we just aren't ready to let you go, and we want to hold onto you for a little while longer. It may be selfish, but it's because we love you.'_

The truth was though that Lance had been relieved and let them know that he was glad that they would be going with him.

Afterwards, Lance and his parents decided on the University of Toronto for him to begin his college career. The Sweets arranged for a family friend to look after their house and got a three-room apartment near the campus. David went to his boss and agreed to the consulting job as long as he could continue to telecommute, and they were able to swiftly come to terms over it. The money would not only help David pay for the apartment and living expenses while there, but would help him to continue to fund Lance's college education expenses.

The three of them moved a week before classes started. It had been a bittersweet moment for Lance, leaving his childhood home, but he was able to deal with any lingering sadness with the knowledge that he would not be alone.

* * *

Lance stared out at the city skyline that was starting to light up in the coming twilight. He now found it to be exciting to live in a new city, and the three of them had explored their new home. But Lance had also fallen into a routine of sorts with David and Carolyn. He knew that his mother was preparing dinner right now and that his father would be in his office that they had set up in the third bedroom, finishing up any remaining business. Soon, he would be eating with them and telling them about his day at school, much like when he was younger, but with one important difference.

Now, school was something that all three of them looked forward to talking about.

* * *

Lance had been nervous at first about going to college after the misery he had experienced in high school. But like so many other things, it was yet another change in his life. While it had been intimidating going to orientation and being at least four years younger than everyone else there, it passed without much incident. His academic adviser had had to introduce Lance to all of his professors so that they would know that he really was one of their students. But after that initial awkwardness, Lance found that he was able to quietly blend into his classes. Once in a while, one of his classmates would ask him why he was there, but all Lance had to do was show his student ID and give a one-sentenced explanation of graduating early from high school. That was usually all that was needed and the matter wouldn't be discussed further.

As a result, Lance mainly kept to himself and concentrated on his studies. He relished the fact that he was able to simply enjoy the process of learning, even though he had a heavy course load that did not give him much in the way of free time. What free time he had, he would usually spend with his family. David was concerned at first about the fact that his son had become a loner outside of their household, but Lance assured him that he was fine with the arrangement.

'_Dad, I've had to be the kid who stood out for almost my whole life. Here, I can just be another face in the crowd and not worry about other people. I just want to enjoy having some time to myself and not having to be the prodigy in the room.' _

Despite the fact that he almost felt like he was in a second childhood with his spending all his time on school and his parents, there was one area where Lance had taken on a more adult responsibility: the decision of choosing psychology for his major in college.

It had not been an immediate decision, but during that summer before he left for school, Lance had thought back to Murray and all of the things he had gained from the psychiatrist. It had been his advice along with his parents' love and guidance that had helped him heal and grow as a person. As he mulled over it, Lance realized that with psychology, he had finally found a way that he could truly learn about and help others.

He had been anxious over his decision and had worried about what David and Carolyn would think. But after telling them about what he had decided and the reasons behind it, the Sweets beamed at him.

'_I think it's wonderful, baby,' Carolyn said. 'That you want to devote your life to helping others that way,'_

'_Sport, I think psychology will be a good fit. You've always been interested in it, and it's no surprise that you want to pursue it further,' David added. 'Your mother and I know how much you care for and want to help others, so this is perfect for you. And I just want you to know that, in this moment, I'm very proud of you.'_

Lance declared his major upon enrollment and was already making plans with his parents about what he would do after getting his undergraduate degree. At that point, Temple University was starting to look like the most likely next step._  
_

_

* * *

_Suddenly Lance had his reverie broken by the sound of the doorbell and the door opening and closing. He turned off the lamp near his desk, and walked out toward the front room to see who it was. As he walked in, he saw his parents hugging their visitor and guiding him inside.

At first, Lance barely recognized him. It had been almost three years since he had seen him last and his appearance had changed. He had grown taller, his hair was now in a buzz cut, and he was wearing Army fatigues. But the vivid green eyes and cheerful smile were unmistakable. The visitor smiled at him.

"Hey Lance, how are you? It's been a while." Lance grinned back.

"Hi Peter. It's great to see you."


	46. Year Ten, Reflection, part 2

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. Sorry about the slower pace of updates these days. Life is getting in the way these days...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Yes, even after all this time...;D

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. Thanks to all of you I enjoy opening my email box every day. :D

**TimeWitch93**: Wait...did you change your name?...Anyway thanks for the review as always. :D Yes, Lance is fifteen by this point...And like you I would love for there to be more about his past on Bones. We can hold out hope for Season Six...

**Ladykale1985**: And thank you for following for so long. ;) Hope you enjoy the rest of it.

**Dukefan1982**: I think college is better for a lot of people who suffered in high school. It made sense to me that it would be that way for Sweets. That and the idea that David and Carolyn would continue to take care of him in college, to make sure he was ready for the changes in his life...

**Peanutmeg**: No problem. I just wish I could update faster these days. ;)

**Mendenbar**: Wow...did you read it all in one sitting? That would have been quite the read. ;) But I'm really glad that you enjoyed it, and hope you will like what I have coming up as well. :D We still quite a bit to go...

**Fearlee**: It amazes me how many people are still following after all this time. I was worried that the length would turn some people off. Thanks again. :)

**Fear Herself**: Speaking of long time readers... ;) Glad you enjoyed the chapter. And there maybe be a little angst, but maybe not what you're expecting...Good luck on your projects.

**Buttercups3**: Glad to see you were still able to carve out time to read :D...I'm also amazed when our Lances have similarities like that. Makes me think that maybe I wasn't so off in my analysis of him...I've grown fond of Peter myself. I see him as how David would have been at that age had his life been different. I'm even thinking of using him in a story outside of this one...And like you, I will be sad when I reach toward the end of this. Since I will be following canon... Hope to see more from you soon.

Year Ten—Reflection—part 2

David, Carolyn, Lance and Peter sat at the small dinner table that was next to the kitchen, enjoying the feast that Carolyn had prepared. Peter, in particular, seemed to be relishing the meal.

"Aunt Carolyn, this is wonderful," he said. "You have no idea how good a real home-cooked meal is after months of Army food."

"Well, we'll make sure that they'll be plenty for you while you're here," Carolyn smiled.

"And while we're on that subject, how long were you thinking of visiting us here?" David asked. Peter quickly cleaned off his plate before answering.

"Just a couple days," he said. "I was able to get a pass to come here from my captain so that I could spend some time with family before getting shipped out. After that, I'll be overseas for two years, at least."

"Peter, as much as we love having you here, shouldn't you have spent this time with your mother and sister since you will be away for so long?" Carolyn asked. Peter began to stare at his plate.

"Mom…Mom and I are not on the best of terms right now," he mumbled. "I turned down a huge scholarship to go to college so that I could enlist. She was not thrilled about it to say the least." David put his hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm sure that once she sees how much you thrive and the things that I'm sure you'll accomplish, she'll come around. In the meantime, we're happy that you could visit us. It's been quite a while. I'm sorry to say that all we have to offer is the couch for you to sleep on, but we will try to make your stay enjoyable." Peter looked up and smiled.

"The couch will be great, Uncle David. Thank you," he said. He then turned to Lance and got an even wider grin.

"So Whiz Kid…I see you're in college already. How long before you get your first degree?"

The rest of the evening was spent catching up on everyone's lives. After helping Carolyn clean up, both Lance and Peter turned in early. Lance because he had classes the next day, Peter because he was exhausted from a long day of traveling.

* * *

The next day, Lance found himself waking up earlier than usual. He decided to go ahead and meditate for a few minutes before starting with his day. After he was done, Lance gathered up his books and papers into his backpack and carried it into the front room.

When he walked out there, he saw that Peter was already up. The blankets and pillows that he had used last night were already put away, and Peter was sitting on the couch, sipping a mug of coffee. He heard Lance pad into the room, and he looked over to smile at him.

"Sorry if I woke you up," he said softly. "Ever since boot camp, I've been an early riser. Force of habit I guess." Lance walked over and sat down beside him.

"Nah, you didn't wake me," he assured him. Peter nodded and went back to watching the morning sun continue to rise while drinking his coffee. Lance couldn't help but notice that even though Peter was smiling, his posture seemed tense.

"Peter…do you like the Army?" he asked.

"Well, let me ask you this: do you like college?" Peter responded, still staring out the window.

"Yes," Lance answered. "It's a lot better than high school."

"High school is hell," Peter grimaced. "I'm glad to be free of that place myself….I'm sure it was hard for you."

"Yeah…it was," Lance said, determined to let the matter drop there; he did not want to re-live those days.

"But college is different. I can just focus on learning. I feel like…"

"Like you belong here?" Peter said turning toward him. Lance nodded.

"That's how I feel in the Army," he continued. "Like I've found the place where I'm supposed to be. I haven't been this sure about anything since…" Peter didn't finish his thought, but Lance had a feeling that he knew what he was going to say.

'_Since his father passed away,'_ he thought. Lance frowned while he watched Peter drink his coffee in pensive silence, a sorrowful look in his eyes. Much like David, Peter expressed a lot of his feelings in those emerald orbs.

Lance put his hand on Peter's shoulder causing him to look at him.

"Peter, I'm sorry that Aunt Kate is not supporting you on this," he said. Peter looked down into his mug and slowly shook his head.

"She's so disappointed in me," he muttered. "She says that I'm ruining my life. And Elizabeth's no help. She's with Mom on this. Neither of them can understand why I would want to pass on college so that I could join the Army. They just don't get it." Peter then ground his jaw in frustration.

Lance felt saddened by his words. He thought back on how David and Carolyn had always supported his decisions on what he wanted to do with his life, and he was even younger than Peter was when he made his choices. He knew it would be have been heart-breaking and difficult if his parents had treated him the way Peter's mother and sister were treating him. Even when they were unhappy with some of the choices he made, David and Carolyn always made sure to tell him that they loved him and stood by him. But now Peter was mostly alone.

"Well…Elizabeth is a teenager now, so she's not going to 'get' her big brother anyway," Lance said. "She's probably just agreeing with your mom to keep the peace."

"You do know that we're teenagers too, right?" Peter said ruefully. "Are you sure that it's not just a girl thing?" The two of them chuckled a bit, but Peter quickly became somber again. Lance's expression grew serious.

"I…I don't think your Mom hates you or is disappointed in you," Lance said gently. "I think she's just scared." Peter looked over at him with a confused expression on his face.

"Scared? Scared of what? That I'm wasting my life? That I won't make anything of myself?" Lance shook his head.

"No…scared that she will lose you too," he said. "She's already lost her husband. Now you're in a career that's rather dangerous at times, and she's scared that she's going to lose you as well." Peter leaned back and was silent for a moment while he digested what Lance said.

"You know…I bet you're right," he mused. "But I can't walk away from this just to make her feel better. This means too much to me…I need to live my own life."

"I don't think you should leave either," Lance agreed. "But…I'm sure that your mom and your sister still love you. It's just…When people are scared, they sometimes do hurtful and stupid things." Lance hung his head.

"Unfortunately, I know a thing or two about that," he mumbled with a sniffle. Suddenly he felt Peter put his arm around his shoulders and looked back up at him.

"Hey…you're not stupid, all right?" Peter said his tone firm. "You're a real smart kid. Maybe you've made some mistakes…hell, I've made some real blunders in my time. But we all do that, so don't worry about it, ok?" Peter patted his back a couple times and then got to his feet.

"And…thanks, you know, for talking with me and listening," he said. "It helps a lot." Peter then took a deep breath and smiled again.

"If you have time, would you like to help me make breakfast for everyone?"

"You cook?" Lance asked, surprised.

"It's a skill that I had to master in order to survive," Peter smirked at him. "You have no idea how bad military food can be at times. But at least now, I can cook a really mean omelet." Lance rose to his feet.

"You make those omelets; I'll handle the toast and juice." As Peter started to laugh silently, Lance pouted.

"Hey…I make great toast…I just haven't developed the same survival skills as you."

"Sorry… it's just you have no idea how good it is to see that I've got you beat on something," Peter snickered.

"Yeah, well don't expect that to last," Lance grinned. "Just you wait until I get out of classes today…I'll show the self-proclaimed Video Game King what it feels like to be taken down a peg or two."

The two of them laughed as they went into the kitchen area, and soon they managed to whip up a hearty breakfast just as David and Carolyn got up to join them.

* * *

After a satisfying, but grueling day of classes, Lance was eager to unwind with his parents and his cousin over dinner. He and Peter spent some time playing video games while they waited for David and Carolyn to get everything ready, and then the four of them enjoyed another elaborate meal together. After finishing and cleaning things up, everyone sat in the front room and visited for a while longer. Carolyn decided to turn in before the rest of them since she was feeling tired. The others said their good nights, and soon the three of them settled in on the couch with some beverages, David sitting with Lance and Peter on either side of him.

"Peter before you leave, I just want you to know that while your mother may not agree with you on this, Carolyn, myself, and I'm sure Lance here, are all very proud of you," David said. "Seeing you in that uniform reminds me of the day that Vincent decided to enlist. I know that if he were here, he would be proud of you as well."

"Thanks Uncle David," Peter said with a sad smile. "I…I wish he was here too…I still miss him sometimes…"

"Hey, Dad," Lance said. "I've always wondered…what was it like? Growing up with your brother?"

David smiled and got up from the couch, leaving the room. In a couple of moments, he returned with a couple of large photo albums and sat back down between them. He opened one up and flipped through it until he found the page that he was looking for. David then sat the album across his lap and pointed at one of the pictures. Peter and Lance leaned in and gasped at what they saw.

David was pointing at a photo with two people in it. One was a young boy with light colored hair and a mischievous grin. The other was a teenage boy standing next to the younger one with his arm around him. What had started Lance and Peter was the fact that, other than the old-fashioned style of clothes and hair, the teenager was a dead ringer for Peter.

"That's…that's," Lance sputtered.

"That's me at seventeen," David said, still smiling. "The boy next to me is Vincent when he was seven years old."

"He really was your baby brother," Lance nodded. Peter continued to shake his head in amazement.

"I guess Mom and Aunt Carolyn were right about me looking like you," he said. David turned toward Peter.

"Maybe so, but you remind me of your father in many ways," David said. "Like you, Vincent loved adventure and action. He liked to explore his world. He also got a deep satisfaction out of serving his country."

David then flipped through the album again and showed them a picture of Vincent as an adult in full military uniform.

"And like him, I'm sure that you will gain the same rewards out of serving that he did," David continued. "In fact, I'll admit that I was a bit surprised when he decided to leave so he could raise a family. But I also knew that he would make a good father; he had a generous heart, and he loved kids."

"I wish I could have had a big brother," Peter said, flipping back to the picture David showed them before.

"Me too," Lance nodded. David laughed.

"Well, I'm sure Vincent would have told you that I was not always the easiest big brother to have," he chuckled.

He then went on to amuse Peter and Lance with numerous tales of sibling rivalry and the misadventures of youth. By the end of it, all three of them had laughed heartily and frequently. Even though his eyes were still bright with happiness, Peter suddenly became solemn.

"Uncle David…I don't mean to pry, but…why were you and Dad at odds for so long?" he asked. "Dad never said anything bad about you; sometimes he even said that he missed you. But he never wanted to talk about what happened between you two." David shook his head and sighed.

"That was a case of pride and misunderstandings getting in the way," he said somberly. "I don't even remember what sparked the initial argument, but whatever it was; it just ballooned out of control." He sat up and Peter and Lance moved closer to him.

"It's probably the biggest mistake that I ever made and one that I will regret for the rest of my life, not making things right between us," David said. "I'd give almost anything to have him back for one day so that I could tell him that I'm sorry." He then smiled and put his arm around Lance, pulling him close.

"And I wish that he could have met my son," he said gently. "I know that he would have loved you, sport."

"Yeah…I think he would have too," Peter grinned. David then put his other arm around Peter and held him close as well.

"I'm just glad that the two of you were able to get to know each other," David grinned, looking back and forth between Lance and Peter. "Promise me that you will not make the same mistake Vincent and I did. Promise me that you will not let a simple disagreement drive a wedge between the two of you." Both of them nodded.

"We won't. I promise," Peter said.

"Yeah…I promise too," Lance said.

After spending a couple more hours talking, Peter and Lance decided to go to bed. Lance needed to go to a morning class tomorrow, and Peter had leave to return to his base tomorrow.

But all three of them went to bed knowing that they would never forget this evening that they had spent together.


	47. Year Ten, Reflection, part 3

Author's Note: No I have not abandoned my work...Life has just been very difficult recently, and I needed to sort some things out. I'm sorry to have put things off for so long and hope to be updating more frequently now.

I also want to thank **Stephaniew** and** Buttercups3** for their support recently...It means a great deal to me. :D

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Even if it would be so much fun if I did...;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. And thank you for your patience as well.

**Fatewalker**: I try to balance out the angst with some reflective chapters and fluffy chapters. We'll be returning to the angst eventually though...

**Buttercups3**: I'm sure it will be easier now that you have internet again. ;) And yes...it does seem like not so long ago that he was meeting Carolyn for the first time. Looking back, it's hard to believe how far I've gone with this...Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoy my invention of Lance's cousin...don't be surprised if he surfaces in some of my future stories...;)

**Cobalt6233**: Thank you so much for that. :D I really do enjoy doing this, and I wasn't happy with spending so much time away. As you have guessed, I do hope to make at least a side career of writing at some point...And for some reason, I never tire of writing about the baby duck. ;)

**TimeWitch93**: Again, thank you for all your kind words, and I hope your stories are going well. ;) I imagined that Sweets made the decision to become a psychologist around this time not just because of his studies in college but also because he got to see first hand how he could bring something positive to the world.

**Dukefan1982**: I'm glad that you enjoyed it. ;D I was going off intuition there...but it just struck me as apt that Peter would learn to be a good cook...Looks like I was on to something...;)

**Mendenbar**: It is a long fic (and is only going to get longer), and that's what impressed me about the idea of reading it in one sitting. ;D You're right about the relationship that Sweets has with his father and his cousin as being instrumental. Unfortunately may not play out the way you're thinking...Thanks again for your reviews. ;)

Year Ten—Reflection—part 3

The next morning Peter got up early so that he could pack his duffel bag and grab a quick breakfast. He then shared some warm goodbyes with David and Carolyn, after which he turned to Lance.

"Hey, your school is on the way to the airport," he said. "I'll stop by there with you and then head off from there."

The two of them then caught the bus that Lance rode to the university and shared some small talk and gentle teasing along the way. They arrived earlier than expected so Peter walked with Lance around the campus grounds for a bit. The air was brisk but not unbearable, and the sky was a dull gray. Eventually they stopped to sit on a creaky, wooden bench near the building where Lance's next class would be held. Peter sat his bag next to his feet.

"So…you never told me what your major was," Peter said.

"Psychology," Lance answered.

"Psychology," Peter mumbled, nodding. "I guess there's no surprise there…Are you thinking of becoming a shrink?" Lance rolled his eyes.

"You know there are a lot of areas within the field of psychology," Lance sighed. "Research, teaching…"

"Yeah, maybe so," Peter interrupted. "But I think you should consider becoming a shrink…You'd be good at it."

"Why?" Lance asked, quizzical. Peter leaned back on the bench and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"I…I still have a lot of them, you know, those letters that you sent me," he answered. "I know that my experiences are nothing like yours but…these last four years have been hard. There have been a lot of times where I was confused, frustrated and…well, lonely." Peter then got up and began to pace back and forth in front of the bench.

"I felt lonely because I still miss my dad, and because I felt like no one around me cared about what I wanted out of life," he said. "They all had their own ideas about what I should do. Even Mom. I mean, I don't know what happened between me and Mom. We used to get along so well, but it seems like over the last couple of years, things really went downhill. And don't even get me started on Elizabeth…" Peter stopped and clenched his hands for a moment. Then he calmed down and turned toward Lance.

"But at least I knew that I could count on Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn to continue to love and support me," he said. "Best of all, I could open up the mailbox and find a sympathetic word from you…You were always so easy to write to…I felt like you could understand what I was going through, and it helped…a lot…when I was trying to figure things out for myself." Peter sat down next to Lance again and gave him an intense stare.

"I think you have some kind of gift for 'getting' people," he said. "And I think you could help a lot of people by talking to them and helping them sort through things..much like the way you helped me. Maybe it's not what you originally had in mind…but I think you should at least give it some thought."

At the end of this speech, Lance sat there with his mouth hanging open slightly in awe.

"I…I didn't know my letters meant that much to you," he murmured. Peter grinned and put his hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Don't sell yourself short," he said. "I know Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn don't. I don't know if they've ever told you, but I know that you've helped them too."

"How?" Lance asked. Peter shook his head.

"That's something that they'll have to explain to you in order for it to make sense…But trust me, I can feel it." The two of them sat silently for a couple moments and watched some leaves dance in the wind along the ground. Then they both stood to go their separate ways.

"It was good to see you, Lance," Peter said. "Take care of yourself." He then pulled Lance in for a brief embrace.

"Thanks Peter…for everything." Peter let him go and grinned at him again.

"You know, my mom and dad weren't able to give me a big brother and your parents couldn't do that either," he said. "So maybe we can both just settle for having a cousin who's like a brother...ok?"

"I think I can settle for that," Lance said, his voice cracking and his eyes growing teary. Peter frowned and clasped his shoulder.

"Hey, don't be like that…I know that it will be a while, but we'll see each other again one of these days, I promise," Peter assured him.

"I know…it's not that," Lance said shaking his head. "It's just…you're the first person who really wanted to be my family…besides Mom and Dad." Peter smiled at him again and picked up his duffel bag.

"Well don't worry," he said as he started to walk away. "I'm sure that this will not be the last time that you will find people who will become your family. Take care."

Peter waved at him one last time and then turned to walk toward the bus stop. Lance watched him until he was out of sight. He then brushed his face with his sleeve and began to walk quickly toward his class.

* * *

When he arrived in the room, it was empty save for a couple of other early arrivals. Lance settled into a desk near the front and got out his notebook and pen. After stuffing his backpack under his desk, he leaned back against the plastic chair. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about what Peter had told him for the rest of the day: about his being like a brother, about how important those letters were, and about the advice he had given him.

'_But I think you should consider becoming a shrink…'_

'_I think you have a gift for "getting" people…'_

Lance knew that his psych professors hated the use of the term 'shrink', considering it demeaning and derogatory to the field, but he was also beginning to think that some of them took themselves too seriously. After talking to his father, Lance was beginning to understand why some people could be nervous around people who could penetrate into their minds and souls.

'_Sport, I understand your gifts, but there will be some people who will find what you can do unnerving and uncomfortable. Try to understand that and don't take it too personally if they give you some grief for it. It doesn't make you any less important to them…'_

After thinking about that and about his time in college, where he saw first-hand how some people felt about psychology, Lance made a promise to himself that day.

'_I will never make a patient's belittling of psychology into a personal attack.'_

'_Wait, did I just say "patient"?' _

Lance sighed; his professors had been encouraging him to go into pure academic research, but deep down he knew that Peter was on to something: he would never be completely content in his field if he couldn't help people directly.

He became even surer of this fact when he thought back to his talks with Peter over the last couple of days. He had been warmed by Peter's kindness to him, but he also had felt a deep satisfaction at seeing how his words had helped his cousin feel better about himself and his decisions.

'_Is this how Mom and Dad feel as they watch me grow up and get better?'_ Lance wondered.

He knew that his parents were proud of his accomplishments and how he had learned to overcome his past. When discussing things with his father, Lance had noticed that David's eyes would light up as he began to grasp and embrace what his father was telling him. He was now beginning to suspect that this may be one of the ways that Peter was referring to when he said that he was helping them too.

He was giving his parents a chance to help someone and they were becoming better people for it. Just like how he felt when he was helping Peter.

Soon more students filed in, and the professor came in to greet the class while preparing for the day's lecture. Lance didn't remember much about what his teacher said during that class because he had been busy making a decision.

On that day, Lance Sweets decided to become a therapist.


	48. Year Eleven, Exploration, part 1

Author's Note: Again, sorry for the slow updates...but classes and life have got me overwhelmed a good deal of the time these days. For those who would like a little more of this tale, check out my latest fic The Meaning in the Gift. It includes a missing scene from Year One of this story. ;D

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Drat. ;)

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I really appreciate it. :D

**TimeWitch93**: Yeah, I had imagined Peter growing more mature as time went on...And yes, by this point some of those infamous "shrink" tendencies are showing. ;)

**Buttercups3**: I knew that you'd be happy that it's back. ;D...I wanted to add that bit with Sweets becoming more tolerant partially because, other than Wyatt, I've noticed that the other psychology professional the gang meets lose their patience with them quickly. I've often marveled at how Sweets doesn't let their teasing bother him...And don't worry, we will see Peter again eventually...And yes, I've seen first hand where people will instantly assume you're going to be a therapist or a social worker if you tell them that your pursuing a psych degree...Thanks for all the reviews! :)

**Dukefan1982**: Thank you...I know that I love wiling away the time with some good fanfic as well. ;) Still enjoying your Parker story and hope to see more soon...

**Cobalt6233**: And thanks for the review. ;) I always figured that Sweets probably had some family somewhere, and I enjoyed building up the character of Peter Sweets...And he will appear again eventually. ;)

**Fatewalker**: Thanks :D I think you'll see in these later chapters that Sweets will start to resemble his current self more and more...And thank you for the encouragement...Hopefully things will improve soon...Also thank you for the offer to beta. I'll keep you in mind. ;)

**Sweetfavoritethings**: And again thank you for all your reviews. :D While I am running a bit behind for the moment, I actually have several ideas that I'm sorting through for Sweets fics. Hopefully you will start seeing them in a week or two. ;)

**Fear Herself**: While I can't guarantee that the happiness will last, the next couple of chapters will be fluffier. ;D And no problem about the school thing. I know that I'm feeling the pinch myself these days. Hope to see more from you soon. :D

Year Eleven—Exploration—part 1

While getting ready for classes, Lance ran a hand through his hair. He decided to go back to wearing it short in an unsuccessful attempt to look older. Failing that, he figured that he liked having it short anyway. He then yanked on a sweater and grabbed some jeans to wear. However, he sighed as he pulled up his jeans and fastened them. For the second time this year, his jeans had become a little too short for him to wear.

At sixteen years old, Lance was experiencing his first true growth spurt. He was now taller than Carolyn, but persisted on being rail thin. He knew that David and Carolyn were happy to see him continue to grow, but even they had to admit that his rapid growth made buying clothes problematic.

But the Sweets knew that Lance's growth over the past year was not limited to his height.

Lance had graduated from the University of Toronto a few months ago with an undergraduate degree in psychology. This time, Lance decided to participate in commencement ceremonies, and David and Carolyn were thrilled to watch him receive his diploma. Afterwards, he and the Sweets had moved to Philadelphia so that he could pursue a master's degree at Temple University. Recently, he decided to make his focus on Abnormal Psychology. Initially, David and Carolyn worried about how well Lance would adjust to making another move so soon, but so far his mood still seemed positive about the way things were going.

Back in his room, Lance looked himself over one last time and then grabbed his backpack that was stuffed with books and homework, and carried it out to sit near the door. He then plopped down into a chair at the dining table next to his father, who was sipping some coffee.

"Good morning, sport," David nodded. "Are you ready for your quiz today?" Carolyn emerged from the kitchen with a plate of food for both Lance and David. After she sat it in front of him, Lance grabbed a piece of toast off it.

"Good morning Dad…Mom," he said while he began to bite off the corners of his toast. "As for the quiz…no problem. The prof went over the stuff we needed to know last week and it was totally easy." David had to suppress a chuckle; his son had recently taken to adding things like "wicked" and "totally" to his speech, and he couldn't help but be amused.

Carolyn finally sat down to join them after finishing the cooking and serving of all the food.

"Are you enjoying your classes, baby?" she asked while pouring him a class of orange juice. Lance smiled slightly; even though he was sixteen and towered over her, Carolyn still thought of him as her baby.

A part of him didn't want that to ever change.

"Yeah…I think I like Temple even more than Toronto," he said as he began to eat his eggs. "The professors here are wicked cool…I just wish…"

Lance abruptly stopped himself and his parents looked up at him.

"What is it, Lance?" David asked. Lance shook his head and stuffed the rest of his piece of toast into his mouth.

"It's nothing," he said around his chewing. He was quiet as he quickly devoured the rest of his breakfast and then he jumped up before the conversation could get going again. He went to grab his backpack and slung it onto his shoulder. But then he made sure to stop back by the table: these days he never left for class without a kiss for his mother and a hug for his father.

"I love you, Mom…Dad," he said. "I'll see you later…Bye." With that, Lance rushed out the door to race over to the bus stop.

David and Carolyn smiled as they watched him leave. In many ways, college had done wonders for Lance. Not only was he flourishing academically and intellectually, he had gained the contentment of looking forward to each new day with excitement instead of dread. He even had become more open in his affection with the two of them. The Sweets knew that the love had always been there, but they also knew that Lance was better able to express his love for them now that he wasn't in the grip of depression.

But for all of his growth, David and Carolyn still had their concerns. Every once in a while, they would still see reminders of the melancholy that never would completely let go of their son: times he spent curled up on his bed listening to death metal, times where he would sit by the window silently with a somber expression, and times when he would doubt his abilities despite his numerous academic achievements.

The Sweets discussed this between themselves sometimes, but David assured Carolyn that Lance was not sliding back to his old ways.

'_Carolyn, no matter how much he grows, or how much he is loved, I suspect that he will always have a tinge of that darkness in him. Like it or not, it's part of who he is. What's important is that he is continuing to find ways to deal with it…Plus, I believe it's part of the reason that he has so much empathy for others…because he knows what pain truly is. I'm confident that he will find a way to use it to make himself into an even better person.'_

However, there was one area that both David and Carolyn agreed was becoming worrisome: Lance's complete lack of any social life.

They hadn't said much about it while Lance was pursuing his undergraduate degree because they knew that their son was making a lot of adjustments in his life and needed space. Plus, the Sweets had enjoyed how much closer their relationship with Lance had become. They knew it was partially the product of their son's desire to make up for any hardships that he caused them in the past as well as a sign of his increasing level of maturity.

But David and Carolyn also knew that it wasn't healthy for Lance to isolate himself the way he had. And on that morning, the two of them suspected that Lance had figured that out for himself as well, but was reluctant to talk about it.

"David…I think he's lonely," Carolyn said, her eyes sad. David nodded and took her hand into his.

"I'll talk to him tonight," he said. "I don't think it's serious; he just needs some guidance is all." Carolyn nodded, but still looked worried. David leaned over and kissed her.

"Don't worry," he said tenderly. "He's going to be all right." Carolyn then smiled and kissed him back.

"I know," she said. "You always find a way to take care of him…I love you, David."

"And I love you, Carolyn," David answered. "But please…don't forget that you're his mother and he needs you just as much as he needs me."

* * *

That evening, Lance enjoyed a quick, but hearty dinner and then went to tackle his homework. After a little more than three hours at it, he decided that he needed a break and went to get a drink and a snack. While walking toward the kitchen, he found David waiting for him at the dining table.

"Hello, sport. How about telling me what's on your mind?" he said. Lance gave a defeated sigh and sat down next to him.

"Dad…why are you so good at reading me?" he asked. "Did somebody teach you or something?"

"I've told you. Part of that is being a father," David chuckled. "Plus, I guess you could say that some people just have a natural ability…You're not so bad at reading people yourself, and I'm sure you'll meet others who have a knack for it too." David pushed back from the table and got up.

"Now, are you hungry?" he asked. "I could make you a sandwich."

"Thanks Dad," Lance smiled. "I'd like that." David grinned back at him and went to the kitchen to prepare it. Lance followed him and leaned against the counter as he watched him.

"Lance, I know that moving around so much and your college career make for some big changes in your world," David said as he sat some ingredients out on the counter. "But your mother and I are concerned that you are neglecting yourself while pursuing your studies."

Lance sighed and slumped against the counter top. David stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him.

"What is it, sport? People still not treating you well?"

"It's not that," Lance said, shaking his head. "I just…They don't so much make fun of me as they just kind of ignore me…I mean, at first I didn't mind it because it was kind of nice to be left alone for a change."

David nodded and went back to finishing up a pair of club sandwiches for his son.

"But now I'm still in classes with people who are at least four years older than me and I don't know what to say to them," Lance continued. "And I feel like they don't know what to say to me either."

"I see," David said as he cut the sandwiches in two and got a glass out of the cupboard. He then poured a glass of milk and carried it along with the plate with the sandwiches out of the kitchen. The two of them went back to the dining table, and Lance took a bite out of one of his sandwiches before continuing.

"Sometimes I wonder what people think when they look at me," Lance sighed. "Like maybe they think I don't belong there or that I'm trying to show off or…"

"Or maybe they just think that you're a kid and they're just as confused as you are as to how to treat you," David said, interrupting his son's train of thought. Lance started at those words, and David put his hand on his shoulder.

"Lance, I think that sometimes you forget that you're sixteen," he said softly. "Now, I don't mean that in the sense that you aren't aware of how young you are in relation to your classmates. What I mean is that because your mind works at such a higher level, you forget that most sixteen year olds don't think the way you do." David scooted his chair so that he could sit closer to him.

"Try to understand that there's a good chance that your classmates are confused and a little intimidated by your presence." Lance made a face.

"What? No way," he said, furrowing his eyebrows. David began to chuckle again.

"Sport, you're in college pursuing your second degree at sixteen and you have an IQ of 160," he smiled. "Sometimes, _I'm_ intimidated by you." To his dismay, David watched Lance's expression fall and his demeanor become more subdued. He put his arm around Lance's shoulders.

"Lance, while I may not be able to stop myself from being amazed with your gifts, it doesn't mean that I feel uncomfortable around you in any way," David said, anticipating Lance's thoughts. "I know that you are more than your IQ, and I love you for who you are as a whole person….The problem is that most people are meeting you in an academic setting, and all they see is this genius child. And like it or not, that is intimidating for a lot of people."

"So what do I do?" Lance said after taking a swig of milk.

"You need to find a way to show people that there is more to you than your intellect," David answered. "I know that you have compassion, curiosity and a sense of humor. The trick is to let others know that you have those things too."

Lance leaned back and continued to eat his sandwich while he worked through his father's advice. Soon David saw a twinkle form in his son's eye and he knew that he had something in mind.

"Hey Dad, do we still have that record that you played for me when I was a kid?"

* * *

Two weeks later, Lance showed up to his Abnormal Psychology class with a large case under his arm along with his usual backpack. As a way for his students to get to know each other, his professor had set aside this class session for everyone to demonstrate a talent that they have. Students got in front of the class and did all sorts of things like reciting poetry, tap dancing and even juggling. The class was only about twenty students, so the atmosphere was relaxed and jovial as everyone performed.

But Lance found himself becoming nervous. The last time he had gotten in front of class was about four years ago to give a speech about the Civil War. He had never done any sort of public performances before.

He wasn't nervous because he doubted his abilities. For years, the Sweets had commented on their son's lovely singing voice and the few family friends who got to hear him sing had complimented him on it as well. Nor was he nervous from not being prepared. He had spent a good deal of his spare time these last two week practicing. He had even practiced in front of David and Carolyn a couple times.

Still, now that he was faced with the actual event, Lance was scared.

"All right, Mister Sweets," his professor said. "It's your turn."

Lance nodded and picked up his case and went to the front of the classroom. Once there he opened up the case and pulled out a tiny record player. He plugged it in and placed a record on it. Then he turned it on and stuffed a couple of things hastily into the pockets of his jeans before facing the class.

"I…uh…I'm Lance Sweets," he mumbled, fighting the urge to look downward. "And...and…"

Lance swallowed hard and felt his face growing hot. By this point, he was sure that he was going to humiliate himself. But suddenly some movement near the back of the room caught his eye and he looked over at it.

There, leaning against the back wall, was David. He had a huge grin on his face, and his eyes shined with pride. Lance furrowed his eyebrows, but his father gave him a look that communicated silently with him.

'_Go ahead…you can do this, sport.'_

Lance finally smiled.

'_Thanks Dad.'_

"And today, I'm going to sing you a song," Lance said aloud, his voice becoming clearer. He turned and placed the needle on the record. Seconds later some instrumental music started up, and Lance began to sing.

_Brother bought a coconut/ He bought it for a dime_

_His sister had another/ She paid for the lime_

Lance had purposely deepened his voice from its usual tenor, and while his singing was as skillful as ever, it was also comical. He then pulled out a plush lime and plush coconut out of his pockets and held one in each hand, gesturing with them while he sang.

_She put the lime in the coconut/ She drank them both up_

_She put the lime in the coconut/ She called the doctor and woke him up_

Everyone in the audience was smiling and chuckling by this point and some had even started to sway to the music. Buoyed by his class' response, Lance began to dance around a bit while he sang.

_Now let me get this straight/You put the lime in the coconut_

_You drank them both up_

As Lance's moves became more flamboyant, the chuckling increased. Even the professor couldn't help but laugh into his hand. David shook with laughter even as he tried hard to remain silent.

_Put the lime in the coconut/ Drink them both down_

_Put the lime in the coconut/ And call me in the morning_

As he finished his song, Lance tossed the plush fruit up in the air, and they landed on the floor beside him. When it was over, the whole class erupted into cheers and applause.

"Well Mister Sweets, I can say with certainty that that was one of the most memorable performances that I've had in this class," the professor smiled. "Thank you for sharing."

"Thank you," Lance blushed. He looked up to see David still grinning and nodding his approval.

'_Great job, sport.'_

As Lance began to gather up his things, two of his classmates came up to help him.

"Hey…that was really funny," one of them beamed. "I liked it."

"Yeah, it was cool," the second one said. "Hey, uh…after class, the two of us were going to grab lunch at that new taco joint a couple blocks from here. Wanna come?"

"Sure," Lance grinned.

"Great," the first one said. "While we're there, you've got to tell us where you got the idea to do that song…"

David watched for a moment as Lance made plans with his classmates.

He then quietly slipped out the door, happy to know that others were finally getting a chance to know the Lance Sweets that he had had the privilege to raise.


	49. Year Eleven, Exploration, part 2

Author's Note: Ok, I was able to get this one out a little faster...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Nor do I own the song "Lime in the Coconut". ;)

Thanks again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. :D

**Ladykale1985**: Thank you...I picture that a teenage Sweets singing this song would be cute. ;D

**TimeWitch93**: It does seem like he's growing up fast, doesn't it? ;) But then again, there will be some issues along the way...

**Mendenbar**: Yeah, I know...sorry about that, but you're right. I just didn't feel like typing out the whole song. ;) If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since I wrote that chapter. ;D

**Buttercups3**: I thought you might appreciate the tie-in to explain why Sweets tries to not be too "squinty" around most people...As for drawing it out...I'm sorry to say that I don't see myself adding on many more chapters. So as of now, I'm thinking that it will be over between chapter 65 and chapter 70...still a long fic, you must admit. ;)

**Dukefan1982**: I know that I'm feeling the pinch of trying to find time for myself with this grueling summer semester. I can only imagine what it was like for Sweets with the way he sped through college...I look forward to your updates. :D

**Fatewalker**: Well your suspicions are not too far off...these fluffier chapters will not last forever, so the tone will soon be changing again...Thanks again for your reviews.

**Peanutmeg**: Thank you for your continued support of my work. :D You will be happy to know that within a week or less, I will be starting the story that I sent you a PM about some time back...;) It's one that a lot of people (including you) were asking for. :D

Year Eleven—Exploration—part 2

Lance checked himself over in his bedroom mirror for what must have been the seventeenth time and sighed; he still was not satisfied with what he saw.

These days, he usually did not think too much about how he looked other than trying to not look like a twelve year old. But this last month had been different. He couldn't understand it, he didn't really want it, and he tried hard to deny it. But in the end, he could not hide from the truth.

Lance Sweets was in love.

After his triumphant performance in his Abnormal Psychology class, Lance was able to become friendlier with some of his classmates and often joined them in study groups or to go out to eat. There was one person in particular that he got along with: Gayle Turner.

At first they mainly talked about the class and their studies. But soon they moved on to various aspects of pop culture and eventually to family. By that point, Gayle really opened up to Lance and told him a lot about her family, whom she adored.

'_You're such a good listener, Lance,' she often said. 'I really like talking to you.'_

As the semester moved along, Lance found himself increasingly fascinated by her. He would spend hours fantasizing about her long red hair and her deep blue eyes. Even though she was twenty years old, recently Lance had grown to be an inch taller than her.

He hadn't wanted to look at girls too much ever since high school and the whole mess with Amy…but Gayle seemed different somehow. For some reason, she made Lance have some hope again about his chances with the opposite sex.

These hopes began to have an effect on Lance's behavior. He would spend hours staring at his closet, trying to figure out what to wear to best impress her. He spent time to carefully plan out what to say when he saw her again and would even rehearse conversations while in his room. He agonized over his basic appearance, wondering if he should change his hair or take some other measure to improve his looks.

Lance heaved a deep sigh and hung his head. Suddenly, he heard a chuckle come from the other side of his bedroom. He jerked around to see David leaning in the doorway of his room.

"So, sport…who is she?" David said with a grin. Lance sighed again; apparently his change in behavior had not escaped his father's watchful eye.

"Dad…I…I…" Lance began to blush, and his father walked over to him.

"Lance, you're sixteen years old…I was beginning to wonder when we would start to see this kind of behavior out of you," David said. "Besides that, I know it may be hard to believe at my age, but I was a teenager once too." Lance flinched slightly at that; while it was true that David was sixty-two years old, Lance did not like to think about his father being old.

"So…who is she, and how did you meet her?" David smiled again. Lance shuffled back and forth.

"Her name's Gayle and she's in my Abnormal Psych class," he mumbled, his face still red.

"Ah…and let me guess…since she's in your class, she's a little older than you," David nodded. Lance blushed some more.

"Yes," he answered. "Dad…I…"

"Lance, this isn't surprising at all," David assured him. "I had a feeling that you would be interested in someone a little older than you because of the way you've developed so quickly at a young age. Just be aware that you _are_ still a kid in some ways, and that women are going to pick up on that."

"So…they'll think that I'm not old enough to…."

"I'm not saying that," his father interrupted. "I'm just saying that women who are older sometimes will expect you to be older in ways that are beyond where you are currently…But don't focus too much on that…there are a lot of young men who may be older than you but who are far less mature." Lance nodded in understanding.

"Dad…can I ask you something?" he said, his face growing even more crimson.

"Anything."

"When…when you went out with Mom the first time…how did you go about it? Asking her out I mean?"

Well sport…I know that my first date with your mother was completely spontaneous," David mused. "I had gotten to know her a little because she worked as a clerk at the bookstore down the road from the college that I was going to. Then one day we ran into each other…literally. After helping her back up to her feet and picking up the books that I had knocked over, I asked her to let me buy her a cup of coffee to make up for knocking her down. And well…we all know what happened from there."

"So…I have to wait until Gayle and I have some sort of mishap to ask her out?" Lance said furrowing his eyebrows.

"No, no," David laughed. "The point I'm trying to make is that you should try to be casual about it and let the situation be your guide. I know you have a tendency to over-think things, so I'm just telling you to not obsess too much over it."

"Thanks Dad," Lance said, smiling at last. David nodded, happy that his son understood his advice, but soon a mischievous glint formed in his eye.

"I suppose that I'll have to give you_ The Talk_ now," he grinned.

"What?" Lance said, his face turning red again instantly. "No…I already know all about that…" He immediately realized how that sounded and began to blush even more.

"I mean…not first-hand," he stammered. "I haven't been…There hasn't been…I mean…I've read some stuff in my textbooks…"

David laughed and decided to let his son off the hook.

"I understand sport," he said. "I know that you are growing up fast, but I also know that you are a responsible and caring young man. Your mother and I trust you."

"Thanks Dad…I should get going for class."

Lance picked up his backpack and started to head for the door.

"Oh and sport…if you do decide to go on a date with her, wear the blue sweater," David called after him. "Your mother says that that one is really cute on you."

"Dad!" Lance gasped, mortified. David laughed again and watched him head off to the kitchen to say goodbye to Carolyn.

* * *

About three hours later, Lance was sitting next to Gayle in class while the professor reviewed for the final test. He was trying hard to concentrate on the different types of depressive disorders, but kept being distracted by the way that Gayle twirled strands of her hair around her index finger.

"Now remember class, next week's final counts for about thirty percent of your grade," the professor said. "So if you were ever going to study for one of my tests, make sure you study for this one."

The professor then dismissed class, and Lance began to gather up his things. While he was doing this, two of his classmates, TJ and Michael, walked up to him along with Gayle.

"Hey Lance, you up for one last study group for the final," TJ asked. "We could really use your help with this."

"Sure," Lance smiled.

"Great…after that we can all go out for pizza," Michael said. "Oh…and if no one minds, I'm going to bring Diane along."

"I know that I don't," TJ nodded. "'Cause I was hoping to bring Brianna along."

"Hey Gayle, you still dating Ron? You're welcome to bring him," Michael said. Gayle shook her head.

"Nope…we're not together anymore," she said. "So Lance and I can be your third and fourth wheel."

During this conversation, Lance tried hard to contain his excitement at the fact that he now knew that Gayle was single.

"Ok…so we'll all meet at that one back table in the commons then?" TJ asked. Everyone nodded and began to leave class. Gayle and Lance were the last to leave.

"Um…Gayle…I…I'm," Lance stuttered.

"Oh Lance, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I just realized how I must have sounded…I just assumed that you didn't have a girlfriend yet…this being your first semester here and all."

"No…no girlfriend," he interjected hastily. "I'm single….just like you, now." He suddenly realized that he had emphasized that last part a little too much, and he instantly regretted it.

"Well…having a significant other in college isn't always all that it's cracked up to be," Gayle said with a faraway look in her eye. She then shook herself and smiled at him.

"I'll see you later," Gayle said, waving at him as she left.

Lance could not remember ever being as eager to attend a study group as he was this one.

* * *

Two days later, Lance arrived with everyone else to go over the material for the final. Eventually each person tested their knowledge by having Lance ask them a series of questions, knowing that he would be able to tell them if their answers were right or wrong. At the end, everyone gave sighs of relief and stretched.

"Thank Lance, you're a life saver," TJ grinned. He then looked at his watch. "Hey, we should get going. I told Brianna that we'd be at Luigi's by 8:30, and I for one am starving."The four of them piled into TJ's tiny car and quickly sped over to the pizza parlor.

Once there, they spotted Diane and Brianna sitting in a large circular booth, waving them over. Everyone settled in with Lance and Gayle sitting on each end. They ordered a pair of pizzas and once they arrived, everyone ate and amused themselves with tales of impossible professors and grueling coursework.

Suddenly, TJ scooted to get out of the booth and pulled Brianna along with him. He walked over to a jukebox sitting in the corner and started up some music.

"Let's dance," TJ said and the two of them moved to dance in the center of the room. Michael and Dianne shrugged and then got up to join them in dancing. After they left, Lance and Gayle scooted to sit next to each other in the center of the booth so that they wouldn't have to yell at each other from across the table.

"Hey Lance, thanks again for helping me study," she said while sipping soda through a straw. "I just wish I could memorize all this as easily as you seem to be able to."

"Oh, anyone can memorize stuff," Lance piped in. "You just have to find a way to make it relevant to you. I mean, I'm sure you memorize trivial stuff every day." He then winced at his own words.

"Um…not that all the stuff you memorize is trivial. It's just that even you could memorize this….wait…that came out wrong…"

"I get it," Gayle smiled. "But I just don't know how to really make this stuff mean something to me personally. It's not like I need to know the difference between the different forms of schizophrenia in my everyday life."

"Well then maybe you could try a mnemonic trick to help you remember," Lance suggested. "Let's take those types of schizophrenia for example. You could make a story about four brothers who each have a different type. Now, if I told you that the brother named Harry heard voices in his head and was worried about someone following him you'd say…"

"Paranoid schizophrenia," Gayle answered, beaming.

"Right," Lance grinned back at her. "And if the brother called Tom said things that no one could understand and laughed when the traffic lights turned green, you'd say…"

"Disorganized schizophrenia," she said, her eyes lighting up.

"Exactly," Lance said, taking a large bite of his pizza, having carefully removed all the green peppers off it. Gayle sipped some more soda before speaking again.

"You know…you make it seem so easy…I just hope that I can do this well on the final," she said. "I'm so nervous about it."

"You know…they say that a great way to alleviate nervousness is to do something pleasurable to take your mind off it," Lance said. "So how about I take you out for a coffee or something to help you relax." Gayle looked over at him and Lance couldn't read her expression. Confusion, disbelief, disdain…those all looked like equally plausible interpretations for the look on her face.

'_Oh great…real smooth, Lance,'_ he chided himself. _'She just broke up with a guy and now she has to deal with some punk kid asking her out. I'm sure that next she's going to ask…'_

"Are you sure your parents will let you go?" Gayle asked. This caused Lance to turn scarlet.

'_Even worse…now she's treating me like a little kid…'_

"I…well…" he stammered.

"It's just that my dad wouldn't let me date until I was seventeen," Gayle added. "So I just wanted to be sure that it would be cool with your parents…I mean I wouldn't want to start off on the wrong foot or anything."

"Oh no, they're cool," Lance said, shaking his head vigorously. "Does…does that mean 'yes' then?"

"I'd love to Lance," Gayle said with another warm smile. "But not before finals…I have too much going on. How about next Saturday? I'll be done with everything by then."

"Sure, no problem," he grinned. Gayle then laughed a little.

"All right then, it's a date….I'll meet you at our usual study spot on Saturday at, say, around six."

* * *

For the rest of the night, Lance could not stop smiling. It didn't stop when he got home either. He didn't plan on telling his parents what had happened that night, but he couldn't help but notice that David gave him a smirk as he walked toward his bedroom. With that one look, Lance knew that his father had figured out why he was so happy.

_'How does he do that?'_ he asked himself. Lance began to wonder if he would ever be as good as David at reading others.

His mood was still buoyant as he settled down in his bed to sleep for the night. But while he was lying there, Lance was struck by another thought.

'_Wait…I've never been on a date…What in the world am I supposed to do?'_


	50. Year Eleven, Exploration, part 3

Author's Note: Well we are at quite the landmark: Chapter Fifty. Hard to believe that it's been three months and fifty chapters since I started this. It's been a pleasure for me to write this...and I'm still not done yet. ;D

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. You all have been great and I appreciate all your support. :D

**Fear Herself**: I suppose the whole jukebox and pizza parlor thing was kind of 50s-like. ;) I guess I was just trying to tap into a rather innocent atmosphere...Thank you for following for so long...And I look forward to more of TPitP. :D

**Fatewalker**: You'll have to judge for yourself if it's cute or sad...;) Thank you for your reviews.

**Cobalt6233**: I envisioned his asking her out being a really cute and somewhat geeky moment. ;) Again...you'll have to see how you feel about it by the end...

**Ladykale1985**,** Sweetfavoritethings**: Thank you for your reviews...I hope you enjoy this chapter too. ;D

**Buttercups3**: I've dated a couple of younger guys in my time...I have the feeling that Lance was probably always interested in older women..and obviously he is successful at times. ;)...I couldn't resist adding in the bit with David threatening him with the "birds and the bees" talk. When dealing with a kid like Sweets, I imagine his parents had plenty of moments where he was older than he should be. ;)..Oh and you have a dirty mind. ;D

**TimeWitch93**: I do remember the bit with the older woman...but I'm pretty sure that the woman in question was April based on everything else we learn by that point, so it won't be covered here...but there will be a serious relationship in Year Thirteen...Thanks again for all your reviews. :D

**Dukefan1982**: I thought it was realistic that someone dating Sweets in college would have to think about the fact that he was a teenager for most of his college years...Sheesh, I completely understand...I have just enough time for my studies and some fanfic writing and nothing else...I loaded on four classes for the summer...I can wait for a weekend of vegging out once the semester is over.

**Mendenbar**: She's twenty. But I think you will see that the age difference will not be as important as it may appear...;)

Year Eleven—Exploration—part 3

While many students put in grueling hours to ensure that they would pass their finals, Lance put in hours mainly to refine his understanding of his studies. This made the time pass by quickly and Lance ended up with his usual excellent grades.

He did not see much of Gayle for the rest of that week. He saw her for a couple of brief moments before they took their finals, and she seemed distracted.

"Gayle…is everything ok?" he asked her.

"I…I…it's all right," she mumbled. "And don't worry…I haven't forgotten about Saturday…"

After finishing their finals, Gayle seemed to disappear. TJ mentioned running into her at one point.

"She's still around, but I think something's bothering her…she seems really upset whenever I see her," he told Lance.

Lance wished he could talk to her, but had no way of contacting her. The rest of the week sped by, and he grew increasingly nervous about the date.

When Saturday finally arrived, Lance found that he didn't seem to have enough time, even though he began preparing for his date hours beforehand. First he agonized over what to wear, eventually decided to go with David's suggestion of this bright blue sweater that Carolyn had bought him. Then he began to worry about what to say and what kinds of things to talk about. He had never prepared for such long conversations before, and worried that he was going to flub up somehow.

'_What should I talk about? How should I act? Casual? Friendly? Romantic? What should I suggest we do? Should I let her suggest things instead?'_

As these questions swirled through his mind, Lance collapsed onto the bed and put his head into his hands.

'_Why did I do this? I mean, I never know what to say to a woman…I always end up putting my foot in my mouth…I really like Gayle and I don't want to lose our friendship…'_

Lance felt his eyes sting with tears.

'_I wish that I had never asked her out…I should just accept the fact that I'll probably always be alone…'_

Suddenly he felt someone sit down beside him on the bed and a pair of gentle hands caressed his shoulders. He looked up to see Carolyn sitting beside him.

"Mom?" he said, rubbing at his eyes hard to prevent tears from leaking out. Carolyn reached down to take his hand into hers.

"I know you're nervous about tonight, baby," she said. "But don't be afraid. Now I know that you've been hurt many times in the past, but you can't walk into every situation expecting to be hurt…There are a lot of good people in the world and many wonderful things that you have yet to discover in life." Carolyn leaned over and kissed her son's temple.

"No matter what happens, you are still a kind, intelligent, handsome young man, and you deserve happiness," she said. "So don't feel you have something to prove tonight. Just enjoy yourself, and everything else should fall into place."

"But I really want to do things right," Lance said. "I don't know what I should do or how I should be with her."

"Just be yourself," Carolyn encouraged him. "I know that's a tired expression, but this young woman chose to go out on a date with you because of who you already are. So just be that person."

"Is that how Dad was with you…when you first went out with him?"

"Yes," she smiled. "And maybe he didn't tell you this, but David was nervous on those first dates too. I could tell. But do you know how he made up for it?" Lance shook his head.

"He made me feel special, like I was the only person in his world at that point in time," she answered. "He did that by focusing on me and what we were doing in the moment rather than thinking about some goal or expectation for himself…So if you need some advice to follow, follow that."

Lance embraced his mother tightly.

"Thanks Mom," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby," she whispered back while she held him. "I hope you enjoy yourself tonight."

* * *

A hour later, Lance sat, fidgeting at the table in the commons area where he was supposed to meet Gayle. He had showed up ten minutes early and paced around for a while before sitting down. 6:00 P.M. came and went, and by 6:20 Lance became depressed.

'_She's not coming…she's going to stand me up…I should have known that she wouldn't show…'_

"Lance."

He turned to see Gayle rushing toward him. He knew that it must have started to snow outside while he was waiting because her bright red hair was wet from a crown of fluffy white flakes that covered her head and her coat.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late," she said. "I've had an unbelievable week…"

"It's ok ," Lance said, rising to his feet. "So…what do you want to do?"

"Well," Gayle said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "There's that movie that TJ says is totally awesome…Let's go with that."

Because of the heavy snowfall, they decide to drive the short distance to the movie theater. Lance was a little embarrassed that Gayle had to drive since all he had was a driver's permit and no car.

There were surprisingly few people at the theater, so Lance and Gayle had the room where they were showing the movie to themselves. After buying a couple of drinks and some popcorn, they settled into a pair of seats toward the back.

The movie was exciting, but Lance kept looking over at Gayle. There was one moment where the two of them reached into the bucket of popcorn at that same time and Lance accidentally grabbed her hand. He marveled at how soft and warm it was, and he longed to hold it.

"Sorry," she whispered, moving her hand away and grabbing a handful of popcorn. Lance snatched a couple kernels for himself and shoved them in his mouth while trying to hide his disappointment.

When the movie was over, Lance and Gayle went to a local Chinese restaurant for a late dinner. At first they went back to their old routine of talking about classes and their studies, but soon Gayle began to reminisce about her family and told Lance many stories about growing up in Ohio. As they finished their meal, Gayle suddenly dropped her fork and blushed.

"Oh Lance…I'm so sorry…Here I have been monopolizing this conversation and I'm sure that's no fun for you," she said. "You must be bored to tears."

"No I'm not," Lance blurted out. "I'm having a lot of fun…I enjoy your stories. Your family sounds totally cool." Gayle smiled at him.

"Thank you…I love how you really listen to people. Most people say they're listening, but they're not really, or they just don't care…But you always do."

The snowfall had stopped by the time they were done eating, so they decided to go for a walk. The streets were mostly deserted and the snow crunched under their feet and sparkled in the moonlight. It was cold, but not overly so. Lance found the crisp night air refreshing.

"Lance…I want to thank you for tonight," Gayle finally said after several minutes of silence. "I…I really enjoyed myself…Just like I hoped I would." Lance grew concerned when he saw that tears were shining in her eyes. He decided to take a chance and reached for her hand.

"Gayle…what's wrong?" he asked gently. Gayle shook her head, but did not take her hand away from his.

"I'm sorry but…I just found out a few days ago that my mother has become seriously ill," she said. Lance held her hand a little tighter.

"I'm sorry…Is she going to be ok?" he said.

"They think she will be…they're pretty sure at least," she answered. "But she's going to need help to recover and my father can't afford to take care of her…so I'm leaving Temple and going back home to help take care of her."

"But Gayle…aren't you supposed to graduate in about a year? And what about that internship you had lined up for next summer?"

"I guess…all that will have to wait," Gayle said with a sniffle. "I...I don't want to go home. I love my life here…but she's my mother…" Lance nodded in understanding; he knew that he would do anything for Carolyn if she needed him.

"I know…you love her," Lance said. "I understand." Gayle finally managed a wobbly smile.

"I believe you do," she said. "And you know what…you're the first person who really has. All the rest of my friends can't understand why I have to do this…they think I should just wait until I'm finished here, and say that my parents would understand…And they would…they're not asking me to go home…but…"

"But you still want to…partially because they would understand," Lance finished for her.

"Exactly," she said. Gayle then gave Lance's hand a squeeze.

"I bet your parents know how much you love them," she said.

* * *

The two of them made their way back to Gayle's car and she drove him to the apartment building where he lived.

"How soon will you be leaving?" he asked her as she parked the car.

"Some time late tomorrow," she said. "I…I'm already packed and have made arrangements…I said goodbye to everyone else earlier today…but this will be my last night in Philly." She turned the car off and turned to look at him. Her breath came out in pale wisps that stroked Lance's face.

"Thank you for giving me one last wonderful evening here," she said, trying to smile. "I'll never forget it…or you."

"You're welcome…I had a wonderful time too," he said. "And I'll never forget it either."

"You know…I did end up acing that final in psych class," she said. "I couldn't have done it without you…I know you're a genius, but...you're really nice too. I just know you'll have a great future."

"You will too," Lance said hurriedly. "I'm sure everything will work out eventually." Gayle suddenly tilted her head and smirked at him.

"Hey Lance…have you ever been kissed?" Lance turned beet red.

"Uh…um…there was this girl in first grade who kept following me around," he stammered. "And one day she…" Gayle put a hand to his cheek, silencing him.

"So the answer is no then," she said. She then leaned over and kissed him full on the lips. At first Lance was startled and his eyes widened. But in a second, he leaned into it and closed his eyes. All too quickly, it was over.

"I've never been anyone's first kiss before," Gayle said. "That was nice." Lance reached over and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Please," he said in almost a whisper. "Can I try that again?" Gayle nodded and this time, he kissed her, putting all of his feelings for her into the kiss and moving close to her. After a couple of intense moments, they parted. Both of them were a little breathless.

"That was…wow," Gayle gasped. She then gave him a wink and a grin.

"You really _are_ a fast learner, Lance Sweets," she said with a smile still on her lips.

* * *

The two of them walked slowly up to the apartment building. Neither of them wanted to hurry because they knew that there was a good chance that they would never see each other again after tonight.

"Take care of yourself, Lance," Gayle said, giving him a hug.

"You too Gayle," he said, holding her tight for a moment.

They parted and Lance watched as she walked back to her car and drove away. He kept watching until the night swallowed up her car on the dark road. Only then did he finally walk inside.

Once he was in his apartment, he shed his shoes and his coat and walked toward the front room. This time Lance was not surprised to see David sitting there, reading a book. His father put the book down while Lance walked in and sat down next to him.

"So…how was it?" David asked.

"It was good," Lance answered.

"Are you going to go out with her again?"

"No…no there won't be another date," Lance said slowly. David put his hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Are you ok, sport?"

"Yeah," Lance said with a sad smile on his face. "I think I am…I'm glad I went and I did have a lot of fun…I'll never forget it."

"You never do," David said. "You never forget your first date, your first kiss…your first love. I know this won't make sense now, but I think you will find that despite how this turned out it won't be a painful memory…But it will be a bittersweet one."

"Dad…does it make sense to be really happy and really sad at the same time?" His father nodded.

"Good…because I think that's how I feel right now," Lance said.

David put his arm around him and pulled his son close so that he could lean against him. The two of them didn't say much of anything else for hours.

Lance knew that he would never forget his date with Gayle. But he also knew that he would never forget how grateful he was that David and Carolyn were a part of his life on that night.


	51. Year Eleven, Exploration, part 4

Author's Note: Again I am sorry about the slow updates, but this summer semester has been brutal. Unfortunately, updates will probably continue to be sporadic until August. *sigh*

By the way, those of you who read my other work will recognize the events in this chapter as ones that were referred to in one of my other fics. After reading this, if you would like another perspective on this chapter, feel free to read my fic The One in a Thousand. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. If only...;)

Thank you to everyone who is still reading/following/reviewing this. I'm very grateful for the continued support. :D

**Buttercups3**: It seems weird now to think that I could have even gotten this many chapters in. ;) I'm glad that you liked that bit with Carolyn at the beginning of the chapter. I was thinking about how much I missed her tenderness for the last couple of chapters...And I remember when I was sixteen and I'm in awe of Sweets' dedication to school too. ;)

**TimeWitch93**: Well this chapter will be a lot more somber than the last chapter, but expect Sweets to be doing a lot more things on his own in future chapters...not that David and Carolyn will be far away, mind you. ;) Thanks again for all your reviews.

**Dukefan1982**: I wish that I was just taking one four hour long class. As it is I have one of those along with three other three hour long classes. I will not be doing that again anytime soon. ;) Thank you again.

**Mendenbar**: I figured that a lot of people would like Gayle. I do not believe that Sweets necessarily always had terrible luck with women and wanted a chance to explore that. And yes, there have been members of our family who have needed support and people on the outside have been stunned by our decisions. It's not something everyone can understand.

**Cobalt6233**: Thank you. I did not mean for it to turn out so sad, but I know that it was bittersweet (pun intended). ;D

**Sweetfavouritethings**: Thank you as well. :D As to whether or not Gayle will show up again...at this point I don't think so, but I originally thought that of Peter Sweets, so you never know. ;)

**Fatewalke**r: Exactly right. I wanted Sweets to have the chance to experience a little bit of happy romance, but I agree that he is just not ready for that kind of relationship yet. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Worried Smile**: Welcome aboard. :D Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic as well.

Year Eleven—Exploration—part 4

Spring soon came, and Lance was swiftly coming closer to completing his master's degree in Abnormal Psychology. He had started to consider graduate programs that he could join. He knew that there were several colleges that wanted him, and he was trying to sort through them to find the best one for him.

While going through the application process, David and Carolyn sat down with him to tell him about a decision of their own.

_'Lance…your mother and I feel that you are ready to attend college by yourself,' David said. 'Therefore, when your time here at Temple is over, we will be moving back home. You've grown up tremendously over the past couple of years, and it's time that you lead your own life.'_

_Lance had been surprised at the decision, but he couldn't help but notice the barely hidden tears in his parents' eyes._

_'Mom, Dad…please don't cry,' he begged. 'I…' Carolyn took his hand._

_'We're sorry baby, if our tears are hurting you,' she said. 'We know how much you love us. But…it's complicated for us.' David nodded._

_'You have to understand, sport; part of us is extremely proud of all you've accomplished and is happy that you get to start such an exciting chapter of your life.' David's voice hitched and Carolyn moved to caress his arm._

_'But another part of us…it feels like only yesterday when we brought you into our home and into our lives,' David continued. 'You grew up so fast and it is hard to let you go.' He then reached over and embraced his son._

_'But I don't want you to worry about that. Part of life is accepting that many of the most joyous and momentous events often have a little bit of loss in them,' he said as he held Lance close. 'Don't let that little bit of sorrow cloud the happiness…And we are happy for you, Lance. It gives us great joy that we can let you go, knowing how far you've come.'_

_'Thank you Mom and Dad,' Lance murmured_. He was truly grateful that David had said that to him. All throughout his time in college, Lance knew that the time would come when he would be on his own and he had been excited about it. But a part of him was worried about the pain he also felt at the thought of moving away from his parents. He now knew that they not only understood it, but shared his feelings.

* * *

While looking over his paperwork from his applications to graduate school, Lance thought again of a conversation that he had a couple weeks ago with his old high school friend, Brian Geras. He and Brian only talked to each other occasionally, but Lance sometimes missed him and wished that they could call each other more often. But Lance's studies kept him busy, and Brian had recently buried himself into improving his grades, something that Lance saw as a positive sign.

But his most recent talk with Brian made him re-think how well Brian was doing.

_'It's so much better here than high school,' Lance had gushed. 'The people are a lot cooler and the profs are a lot more interesting than most of the bores that we've had to endure.'_

_'Uh-huh.' Brian responded dully. Lance had noticed his tone, but persisted in his cheer._

_'I'm thinking of going to Columbia to join their graduate school of Clinical Psychology,' he continued. 'Where do you think you'll be going to school?'_

_'I don't think that I'm going to college,' Brian said._

_'What? Why?' Lance asked, stunned. 'Aren't you going to graduate as salutatorian of your class? I'm sure you could get into an awesome college.'_

_'What for?' Brian snapped back. 'It will just be the same-old, same-old for me. Oh sure the people and places might change, but ultimately it will be the same. At least for me it will.'_

_'No Brian, it won't,' Lance soothed. 'I mean sure there are always a few jerks wherever you go, but I promise you it will be different.'_

_'Lance…I'm really happy for you,' Brian said softly. 'I always had a feeling that you'd do something with psychology and it's cool that you're living out your dream. I…I know that you will be great at it.'_

_'Thanks Brian,' Lance answered, confused. Brian had not been this open with him in years._

_'You're welcome. Take care of yourself,' Brian said. 'You…you've been a real friend.'_

Sitting at his dining room table with papers fanned out in front of him, Lance could not get that conversation out of him mind. It had been bothering him for the past two weeks. Brian had always been a bit of a pessimist, but it worried Lance that he had stopped thinking in terms of the future.

Plus, he felt a chill inside him that reminded him of those days right before he tried to commit suicide, and he did not like this feeling of déjà vu.

He picked up the phone and called Brian's number to see how he was doing. After a couple of rings, a woman's voice came on the line that Lance recognized as Brian's mother.

"Why hello, Lance. How are your mother and father doing?" she said.

"They're good, thank you," he responded. "Is Brian there?"

"Sorry, he's not here right now. Would you like me to tell him you called?" Lance was disappointed that he wasn't there, but he was relieved to know that there was nothing seriously wrong, judging from his mother's tone of voice.

Still, he could not just hang up with that knowledge.

"Mrs. Geras…I talked to Brian a couple of weeks ago and he seemed really depressed," Lance said. "Have you noticed it too?"

"Well you know how Brian has always been a bit of a Gloomy Gus," his mother responded. "But he'll come around. He always does."

"Mrs. Geras…I've known Brian for years and you're right, he's always been like that. But when I talked to him recently, he told me that he probably wasn't going to college."

"He says that once in a while, but it's no big deal," she said dismissively. "He just gets that way when he's stressed over his studies. He's doing so well in school now. There's no question of whether or not he's going to college."

"No, it's more than that," Lance insisted. "I'm really worried about him. I...I think he's severely depressed and that he might...act out on it somehow."

"What are you saying? Are you saying that you think he'll…?" Brian's mother stopped and Lance could hear a gasp over the phone.

"Brian is not like you," she finally said, her voice cold. "Your parents may not talk about it, but we know what you tried to do. Our son is not weak like that. Just because your professors think you're special does not mean you know everything."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Geras...I..."

"No," she interrupted. "You should stop calling here and mind your own business. Brian doesn't need people like you in his life."

Suddenly, Lance heard a click and a dial tone and he knew that she had hung up on him. He carefully sat the receiver back onto the cradle and rubbed at the wetness forming in his eyes.

_'People like me….People who are too weak to stop themselves from trying to take their own life.'_

_'Is that what I am?'_

Lance couldn't imagine falling back into the state of mind that had driven him to attempt suicide, but now he was beginning to wonder about the fact that he had ever made it to that point in the first place.

_'Brian is not like you.'_

_'She's right,'_ Lance thought._ 'Brian's parents never were very close to him, but he's able to get by. Me?…Mom and Dad love me more than anything, and it still wasn't enough to…'_

Even as he felt the tears sting his eyes, Lance hated how much he was overwhelmed by his emotions at times. As he started to cry, her words re-played in his head over and over.

_'If it weren't for Mom and Dad, I would have never made it this far…So how am I going to make it on my own?'_

_

* * *

_A couple more weeks passed by and the snow had fully melted and the days grew cheerier. Lance had been accepted to Columbia's graduate program and planned on spending one last summer with his parents back home before going.

Soon, his seventeenth birthday was approaching. He knew that his parents were planning something elaborate since this would be the last birthday he would spend with them before going away for graduate school. David had not been very subtle in asking him what restaurants he had wanted to try before leaving Philly.

One afternoon, Lance walked out of his class and was surprised to see David, pacing the hall waiting for him.

"Dad?" Lance said as he walked over to him. It wasn't completely out of the question for David to pick him up after school, but that was usually only when the weather was too poor for him to walk to the bus stop. Today it was a crisp but clear sunny day.

"Sport…I need to talk to you, so I'll be taking you home today," David said quietly. Lance nodded and followed his father to the car and after getting in, the two of them took off. The ride back to the apartment was a silent one and Lance grew nervous. But he knew that when his father had that serious tone in his voice, it was best to let him direct the course of the conversation. They soon arrived and Lance noticed as they walked in that Carolyn was missing.

"Where's Mom?" he asked.

"Your mother got a call not long after you left this morning from some family of hers a few hours from here, and she is staying with them for a couple of days," David answered. "She wanted me to let you know that she will be back in plenty of time for your birthday."

David guided Lance to sit on the couch in the front room.

"Dad, what's going on?" Lance said, frightened by his father's tone. David shook his head a couple times before answering.

"I got a call a couple hours ago from Brian's dad," he said. "Two days ago, Brian came home from school early and he broke into his father's cabinet where he kept his hunting rifles. I'm so sorry, Lance…Brian took his own life."

His father's words knocked the wind out of him. He could barely think. Everything around him became blurry as he lapsed into shock.

"No…I…I just talked to him a month ago," Lance gasped. "I just talked to him…he…he told me to take care of myself…"

When he saw how badly Lance was taking the news, David pulled his son into an embrace. He held him close while he felt Lance tremble.

"He…he's going to graduate soon…top of his class," Lance said, starting to weep. "He won't have to put up with those idiots anymore…he…he didn't have to…"

"I know. I know it doesn't make sense," David said gently. "It never does."

"Why Dad? Why couldn't they save him?" Lance choked out between in tears. He then buried his face into David's shoulder. He remained silent while he held his son.

He didn't know the answer to Lance's questions. But David did know that he wasn't really expecting any answers anyway.

* * *

After a couple of hours of grieving, David let his son go and called Carolyn to let her know what was going on. Even though he assured her that Lance was going to be all right, she insisted on coming home early and promised that she would be back some time tomorrow so that she could be there for her son. Then David ordered some Chinese food to be delivered since he really did not feel like cooking anything.

Eventually the food arrived and David re-joined Lance in the front room. He had stopped crying, but was still very subdued. David pulled a stout wooden coffee table closer to the couch and spread out the white paper cartons of food onto it.

"Here, sport. I know you're upset, but you should try to eat something," he said sitting back down next to him. Lance nodded and sniffed. He then picked up a pair of chopsticks and nibbled at the food slowly. The two of them ate in silence for several minutes.

"Dad…I had talked to Brian's mom a couple of weeks ago," Lance said while he poked around at his fried rice. "I…I told her that I was worried about Brian because of how he had been the last time…the last time I talked to him." David nodded in understanding and waited for him to continue.

"She got really mad at me and told me to stop calling Brian and to mind my own business."

"Well Lance, it can be very hard for a parent to hear things like that about their child," David said. "Especially from someone who they may consider a child themselves."

"She said that Brian was not like me," Lance said, his voice beginning to crack again. "She said that he wasn't weak and that he would get through."

"Lance?" David said, setting his food down on the coffee table.

"But…but he was like me and now he's gone," Lance warbled, tears making their way down his cheeks again. "Why did I get to live and he…he…?"

David grabbed the carton and chopsticks from Lance's hands and sat them on the coffee table. He then held Lance tightly against him.

"Listen to me Lance…don't ever ask yourself a question like that again," David said forcefully. "What happened to Brian was a terrible thing, but don't think for one moment that just because his parents were not able to save him that you shouldn't have been saved." He held his son a little tighter yet.

"Your life is just as precious as anyone else," he said. "And whether you know it or not, your mother and I are extremely grateful for every day that we get to share with you."

"I'm sorry Dad," Lance sniffled, hearing the sorrow in his father's voice. "I didn't mean…I know how much you and Mom love me and I am grateful that you saved me." He embraced David back tightly.

"But Dad, I'm scared…what if she's right? What if I'm too weak to make it through life? You and Mom did everything to help me and love me but still I…I…" David moved Lance away from him so that he could face him and waited for a moment so that Lance could get a hold of himself before speaking.

"Lance…there are no easy answers here," he said. "Now, I don't know what drove Brian to do what he did. Unfortunately we will never know for sure. But…what I do know is that, even though you had a moment of weakness, it does not mean that you're weak. It just means that you lost your way for a while there."

"But…all those times that I did stuff…all those times I tried to run away," Lance choked, his tears finally slowing down. "Who's to say if I'm really strong at all?"

"Lance, while Brian's parents may have been inattentive, I know that he did not experience the kinds of horrors that you did," David responded. "It may be hard to see from your perspective but trust me; you are not the same boy that I met over ten years ago in that orphanage. That is part of the reason why your mother and I know that it's time that you live on your own." David put his arm back around Lance's shoulders.

"While what she said was cruel, Brian's mother was right; he was not like you. You take the pain that was inflicted on you and use it to drive you to help others. Unfortunately, Brian got completely lost in his own pain and could never reach out to others that way." He pulled Lance closer to him.

"Don't feel guilty that you were able to survive what happened to you," David murmured. "Try to remember that you probably comforted Brian by being his friend. I'm sure that if he could, he would tell you that that meant a great deal to him."

While David said that Brian's last words sprang back into Lance's mind.

_'You've been a real friend.'_

"He did try to tell me, Dad," Lance mumbled. "I guess, I just didn't realize it at the time." Lance felt his father squeeze his shoulder.

"Sport, you have a real gift for helping people through their problems and their sorrows. And I'm sure that you are at the point where you are becoming strong enough to help them…and to take care of yourself." Lance finally stopped crying and wiped at his eyes.

"I know that we weren't very close toward the end, but I'll never forget him," he said somberly.

"Nor should you," David nodded. "Always remember how you felt this day and how precious life is. Remember that when people reject this gift that they've been given, we all suffer for it." Lance glanced over at this father and saw that he had an intense look in his eyes.

"Most of all, remember that this world is a better place with you in it," David said. "No matter how dark it becomes, you will always bring some light into it."


	52. Year Thirteen, Discovery, part 1

Author's Note: No, I haven't abandoned this story. I've just been insanely busy with this summer semester. But I'm finally on my last week, so once it ends, I'm hoping that updates will be more frequent. In fact there is a good chance that this will be finished by the end of August.

I do not own Bones, or any of its characters. Yes, even after all this time...;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. I'm sorry that there was such a long break between updates. I appreciate your patience.

**Fatewalker**: I think I must have a little crush on him to spend so much time with him in the fanfic world. ;) But anyway, thanks for the review. I agree that by this point he will start to come into his own, even though he still grapples with that loneliness by the time he appears on Bones...Oh and I'm a master of over-thinking, so no worries there.

**TimeWitch93**: I agree. It's a theme that I imagine reoccurs in Sweets' life: people don't listen to him because of his age and then things happen that he wishes he could have prevented. Again, thanks for the review. :D

**Buttercups3**: Then I'm sure you will be happy with this update too. :D And thanks for the review...I did want to illustrate how things could have turned out very differently for Sweets if his parents hadn't intervened and to have him face this reality...Plus I do think that he brings a certain innocence and light-heartedness along with his counseling skills to the Jeffersonian, thus bringing light into their world as well.

**Fear Herself:** Thanks for the wish for luck. :) Now that it's almost over, I feel relieved. Oh and glad to see that you updated too...Yes, that was a concern for me: how to make this chapter have an impact even though a lot of you had probably read my The One in a Thousand story which indicated what would happen. Glad to see it still worked out. :D

**Fearlee**: Thanks for the support. :) Here is another chapter, I hope you enjoy.

**Misfitmartian**: Wow...I'm always impressed when someone decided to tackle this fic in one day having not followed it up to this point. :D There will be several more chapters after this one, so I hope you enjoy the rest of it.

**Mendenbar**: As always, thank you for the great reviews. :) I agree that part of what helped Sweets grow into the person that he is today was the fact that his adoptive parents were willing to be attentive when needed and willing to pull back so that Sweets could grow into the person he was meant to be. Brian's situation represents to me what could have happened if Sweets had been placed in a home where the parents didn't care as much about maintaining that balance. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Cobalt6233**: And thank you as well. :D I imagined that with the close bond that Sweets developed with his parents that it would be hard for both of them to let go. I'm happy that I was able to capture that experience for you.

**Dukefan1982**: I do imagine that it's a case of denial. She simply did not want to believe that she wasn't the best parent for her son, and didn't want to hear it from a 16-year-old who had tried to commit suicide himself at one point. Sadly, when people deny what's around them, bad things often happen...

**Beththeartist**: Thank you and welcome aboard. :D I agree that my fic writing is getting better as I continue to write this and my other works as well. Again, impressive that you downed this all at once. :D I'm glad that you picked up on the allusions to the show, as I did want to make reference to it and I'm happy that the fact that this is a labor of love is obvious. I really do enjoy each chapter that I put out there and will be sorry when it's finally finished. Again, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the rest of it.

Year Thirteen—Discovery—part 1

It was late evening when Lance Sweets finally made his way into his tiny studio apartment, and as he walked in the door, he had an epiphany: car salesmen were some of the worst students ever.

Now in graduate school at Columbia and eighteen years old, Lance tried to find odd jobs to help pay for his living expenses. He knew that his parents had not only been paying his education bills that were not covered by scholarships, but that they had even more money put aside to continue to pay his tuition. Although David refused to say how much money he had built up for this purpose, Lance knew that when he finally finished his education, he would not have much in the way of debt.

But he wanted to pay for his own living expenses at least so that he could lessen the financial burden on his parents. He had talked to one of his professors about holding educational seminars to instruct people about how psychology could be applied to different aspects of business. Lance eventually brainstormed the idea to teach salespeople to better connect with their customers.

Unfortunately when approaching local business groups with the idea, the only ones who seemed interested were a couple of local car dealerships. Lance was hesitant, but they offered even more money than what he was going to ask for. He decided that no matter what, it beat busing tables at some restaurant.

Lance wandered over to the kitchen area and pulled out a can of soup from the cupboard. He didn't really feel like trying to cook anything, but he figured that he should eat and this seemed like the easiest way to go about it. After pouring the can's contents into a pot and lighting up the stove, he plopped down onto a chair to watch it cook.

He thought back to the first day of that week-long seminar. The room fell silent when he walked in and introduced himself. Lance could see the barely hidden looks of disbelief on their faces when he placed special emphasis on his newly acquired "doctor" title. But after a few minutes of instruction, the salesmen appeared receptive to learn and at least tried to overlook his age.

The week proved to be a long one anyway as many of his students seemed to willfully forget most of what they learned the day before. Those that did retain the information were stringing bits and pieces of it together to achieve the highest level of manipulative advantage over their customers. It was a distortion of what Lance had hoped would be a way to improve relations between businesspeople and clients.

Today had been the last day and while many were happy with the "tricks" that they had learned, Lance felt less than satisfied. Still the pay had guaranteed that he wouldn't need to work for a while. And it gave him money for some other projects that he had in mind.

The soup was finally heated to an edible temperature so he poured it from a pot into a bowl and moved to sit down on his couch to eat it. As he slurped, his eyes glanced over at a photo collage that he had hanging on the wall of him and his parents. He then smiled.

He thought back to the day that he got his first doctorate from Columbia which was in Clinical Psychology. David and Carolyn were back to living at home, but they had flown up to see the ceremony and to spend some time with him. Lance had been as happy to see them as he was to get his PhD that day since he hadn't seen them in months.

Carolyn started to cry the first time her son was referred to as Doctor Lance Sweets. During and even after the ceremony, David could not stop grinning_. My son, the doctor_, he would mumble just loud enough for Lance to hear him. Lance knew that his father was exceedingly proud of him and that meant as much to him as the certificate he received.

But even on this happy day, Lance had been nervous about the news that he had for his parents.

While he was finishing up this doctorate, Lance had become increasingly interested in studying the forensic area of psychology. He began to read about the profiling of criminals when he wasn't working on his dissertation on the psychological effects of job stress. He wasn't completely sure why he felt such a pull toward this area, but he quickly developed a burning desire to study it further. Even though he wasn't sure where it would lead him, he decided to pursue a second doctorate in Behavioral Analysis next instead of immediately moving to private practice.

His soup finally finished, Lance sat the empty bowl on a rickety stand sitting next to him and picked up a framed photo of his parents that sat by his phone. He then thought back to that fateful conversation that he had with David and Carolyn only a couple of days after getting his first PhD.

* * *

_He had been so nervous; his hands shook while he told them his plans. He had more than one reason to be nervous. _

_David had finally retired a couple of months ago and Lance was concerned about burdening his parents financially. Or he worried that they would be disappointed that he wasn't going to be counseling patients for a while, which was why he had gotten his doctorate in the first place. After he told them what he wanted to do and why, Lance was frightened by their initial silence. _

_But then Carolyn took his trembling hands into hers and David put his arm around him. Lance noticed a frown on his father's face and worried even more._

'_Lance…did you think that we would be upset with you?' he said gently. Carolyn started to rub circles with her thumbs on the backs of his hands._

'_Baby, we know how special you are and we want to do anything we can to help you reach your full potential,' she said. Lance shook his head._

'_But I've already asked so much from you,' he mumbled. 'All the time and care you've given me…all the money you've spent on my education…all the sacrifices you've made…'_

'_Sport, you've just received a PhD so that you can spend your life helping people sort through their problems,' David interrupted. 'And now you've just told us that you also want to help law enforcement agencies catch criminals which will help society as a whole. Everything you want to do involves giving and helping others. How could you possibly think that we could be disappointed that we have such a generous child?' Carolyn smiled and kissed her son's cheek._

'_Lance how many parents get to say that their child is a doctor by the time he's eighteen?' she beamed. 'We are tremendously proud of you.'_

'_I just don't want to be a burden,' Lance said, still not looking his parents in the eye. 'You've both worked so hard…'_

'_Lance, your mother and I worked hard our whole lives just so that we could do this,' David said. 'From the day you came into our lives, Carolyn and I had made the decision to make your education a top priority. It was what we wanted. So we will find a way to help you continue in your studies, if that is what you want to do.'_

_Lance then embraced each of his parents, tears in his eyes._

_On that day, Lance was sure that if he was a generous person, it was because of the never-ending generosity and love of David and Carolyn. _

_

* * *

_Back in the present, Lance sighed as he put the photo back in its place. Even though he knew that it was the right decision to move out on his own and lead his own life, he still missed his parents. More than Carolyn's cooking and gentleness or David's conversation and wisdom, it was their very presence that centered him. He missed that feeling of security.

The phone rang, and Lance knew that it would be them. His parents called him almost every day. With a smile on his face, Lance picked up the receiver.

"Hello, sport. How was your day?" David asked him. Lance sank further into his lumpy couch.

"Long," he answered. "Dad, I don't think I'll ever buy a car from anyone around here." David's laughter filled his ears.

"Well Lance, all of us have had jobs that we would like to forget," he chuckled. "I should tell you some time about when I had to spend a summer painting houses with my uncle while I was in college. My uncle was a somewhat of a tyrant, so it was not a fun experience. To this day, I shudder at the sight of a roller and paint can."

Lance laughed and for a while the conversation drifted into a variety of casual topics about daily living. Eventually Lance worked up the courage to broach the topic that he needed to discuss.

"Dad, before I talk to Mom I…I need to tell you something," he gulped.

"What is it sport?" Lance took a deep breath before continuing.

"I contacted our old lawyer a couple of months ago, Terry Nigel," he said. "I…I want to find my birth mother." There was a long pause.

"I see," David finally said. "Why?"

"I…I just want to know, you know" Lance said, swallowing hard. "I mean, I know that she wasn't the most responsible or caring person, but…I know that she wasn't like Andrew either. I just want to know about her and about why things turned out the way they did. I don't know or remember her at all, but I…I think I should." There was another pause as David digested all of this.

"Lance…I understand why you are doing this," David said, his voice low and serious. "But I don't think you will find what you are looking for." Lance felt his cheeks grow hot.

"Dad, it's not like I want to replace Mom," he said, slight irritation coloring his tone. "I just want to know more about myself and my past. I want to understand what happened to me better. If I have to deal with Andrew's place in my past, then I should get the other half of the story from her."

"Look, I get why you're doing it," his father shot back. "I just don't think you will be satisfied with the results. I don't want you to get your hopes up and then be disappointed."

"Dad, whether I will be disappointed or not, I should at least try," Lance said. He took another deep breath to calm himself before continuing.

"Terry was able to give me some leads on her, and I was able to track her down a little on my own," Lance said. "I've saved up enough money so that I can go down to Florida and spent a little time there. I want to spend a day or two with her and then I want to come visit you and Mom... if you don't mind."

"Of course we don't mind," David responded. "But Lance are you sure that you don't want me to send you some more money? I don't want you to have to sleep in a car or not have enough to eat."

"It's ok, Dad," Lance answered. "I want to do this on my own."

"All right…if you're sure," his father said. "Why don't you talk to your mother now? She would love to speak to you."

"Dad…could you tell her what I'm doing?" Lance said timidly. "Could you help her understand why I'm doing it? I don't want for it to come out wrong and accidentally hurt her."

"Lance…telling your mother is your job, not mine," David said brusquely. "Here she is now."

Lance gulped and in a few seconds he heard Carolyn's gentle voice over the line. After a few moments of small talk, he explained his plans to her in a shaky tone.

"I'm sorry Mom," he quaked. "I love you…but I need to do this."

"Baby, it's all right," Carolyn soothed. "Of course you're curious. I understand. But this changes nothing between us. I will always be your mother, no matter what." Lance felt tears sting his eyes.

"Thank you," he choked. "I'll see you soon…and could you tell Dad that I'm sorry too?"

"Why? Did something happen?" she asked, worried.

"No…it's ok…I just can't…please tell him," Lance pleaded.

"All right, baby. I'll tell him," his mother relented. "Please take care of yourself. I love you."

After some more reassurances from her and their farewells, Lance hung up the phone and stared into the empty bowl sitting nearby.

'_Maybe this is a mistake,'_ he thought, rubbing his eyes. But after a couple of minutes of contemplation, he shook his head, full of new resolve.

'_No, I need to do this. I had to face Andrew and what he did to me. I need to face my birth mother too…or I'll never be able to move on from that part of my life.'_

_

* * *

_Back in Lance's childhood home, David and Carolyn were wrestling with doubts of their own.

"David, why did Lance want me to tell you that he was sorry?" she asked him while they sat on the couch together in the family room. David shook his head and sighed.

"I was too sharp with him," he answered. "He told me that he wanted to find Lillian and I reacted badly." He began to stare at the carpet and Carolyn took his hand.

"I don't know why I was so cross with him," David said.

"I think I know," Carolyn said, squeezing his hand. "You were just worried about me and my feelings being hurt. You've always been that way." David sighed again.

"And now all I've done is hurt our son's feelings," he mumbled. Carolyn leaned over and kissed him.

"Lance does not expect you to be perfect," she murmured. "When we see him, just tell him how you felt and I'm sure he'll forgive you…But David, even now he still loves you…you know that." David pulled his wife close to him.

"I love you, Carolyn," he whispered in her ear. "If Lance loves me, it's only because you've helped me become a better person."

"David, I…" But David cut her off by kissing her and then embracing her even closer.

What he did not say was that he had been worried about her recently. She tired faster and seemed a little frailer than she had been in the past. As a result, he found himself wanting to take care of her even more than he used to before. David knew that she was getting older, so was he for that matter. But he hated to watch her slow down, even if it was only slightly. The fact that Lance had moved away made this even harder for him to deal with.

Carolyn and Lance were the people he loved most in life. David didn't want to imagine a day when he might have to live on without them.


	53. Year Thirteen, Discovery, part 2

Author's Note: Ok, next chapter. Not as fast as I would have liked, but faster than it has been here of late.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. But we all knew that, right? ;)

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Buttercups3**: Hopefully this will brighten your day a little. :D And yes, as the last chapter pointed out, sometimes things do not move smoothly between the Sweets, but the warm tone that you noted shows where things will end up. ;)

**Lives in the now**: Well I was able to update faster this time which I'm hoping will be the norm now. :D Enjoy some more time in Sweets' past...

**Mendenbar**: Once again you have noted a point that I've tried to weave into the plot of this story. :) Yes, much like Booth, David wants things to be far more ideal than they often can be, and he will continue to try his best to make things "better" for Carolyn and Lance. But as you pointed out, it doesn't always work out perfectly. And I agree that it was important for Lance to make this decision on his own as part of his growing up process. What he will find out on this journey is another matter...

**Fatewalker**: Yes, right now he's 18 and in the first episode we see him in, he mentions to Booth that he's 22. But this will end before that point. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Sweetfavoritethings**: Thank you! :D I did try to pull in as much as I could that is learned on the show about Sweets' past. And like you, I'm going to miss this fic when it's done...But I am toying with the idea of doing another fic to "supplement" it, so to speak...we'll see...

**TimeWitch93**: Thanks again for the review. :) You're right that by this point, Lance is starting to become the therapist we all know and love from Bones. As for the older woman...that will be the second half of Year Thirteen...first this storyline.

**Cobalt6233**: Thanks for the review as usual. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Fear Herself**: No problem on the review. :D I hope to see more from you soon. Thanks again.

**Fearlee**: And here's another update. :) We will have to see if Lance is going to be satisfied by the end of this or not...as for David and Carolyn, well...remember that I try to always follow canon. They will be around for a while longer, but it is getting closer to the end of this story...

**Dukefan1982**: I totally get that. I know that I'm ecstatic over classes ending myself. And as I keep saying, we will have to see how this trip turns out...

**Blueeyesmilby**: Thank you! :D I'm glad you enjoyed this so far (even if it was quite a marathon to catch up to this point). I hope you will enjoy the rest of this story as well.

**Peanutmeg**: As always, thank you for all the reviews. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Year Thirteen—Discovery—part 2

Two days later, Lance was driving a rental car down the interstate in Florida. He had flown down from New York and picked up this beat-up vehicle at a place a few miles from the airport. As he drove, he winced at how much just the plane tickets and the car were costing him.

'_Sorry Dad…looks like I may have to spend a night or two in my car after all,'_ he thought to himself.

Lance frowned when he thought of David. He hated it when things were tense between him and his father, but he knew that it would work out soon. Lance found it impossible to ever stay angry at him, and he knew that David felt the same way about him. Still, it did give him a slight pang in his heart when he thought about it.

He decided instead to go over the directions and schedules that he had been given while also turning his attention to the road. Terry had given him all of the information she had on Lillian from when she tracked her down for Lance's custody hearing. He then took what he knew to a couple of friends of his from college who were good at finding people and who owed him some favors.

They were eventually able to find out that Lillian was still living in Florida and was still working various circus and fair circuits in the area. Although details on her life were almost nonexistent, Lance's friends were able to give him a short list of circuses that she would most likely be working for right now along with their travel schedules and directions to find them. After working out the routes he would need to take on some road maps he had purchased at a gas station, Lance took off for the road.

After driving for almost four hours, Lance finally arrived at the first circus on his list. He parked the car, bought a ticket and began to walk the grounds. It was almost afternoon by this point and the Florida sun beat down on him with oppressive heat. The air was heavy and dank and filled with candy and hot-dog smells. Circus folk walked around him, not looking at him or acknowledging his presence. He weaved through crowds of over-heated parents with excited children and teenagers, who were looking for a perverse thrill.

Lance spotted a group of workers gathered in front of two men, who seemed to be giving orders to everyone else. Figuring that they were in charge, Lance walked over and waited for the rest of them to disperse before approaching them.

"Um...Hello," he said as he moved closer. "My name is Lance Sweets, and I was wondering if I could speak to someone in charge." The two men started at him for a moment before the shorter stouter man jerked a thumb in the other man's direction.

"Zeke here runs things," the man said. "What are you? Some kind of junior salesman?"

Lance swallowed hard while considering his attire. He had worn a dress shirt and slacks along with a tie. He had wanted to look nice in case he ran into his birth mother, but more importantly he wanted to look professional. Not like some sort of wayward teenager.

But as he watched these two carnies eye him warily, he wondered if maybe he should have gone even more casual.

"No, I'm looking for someone," Lance answered, doing his best to remove all traces of hesitation or nervousness from his voice. "Her name is Lillian Place. I believe she is working as a fortuneteller under the name 'Mystic Lil' these days."

"And what is she to you?" Zeke said his expression unreadable.

"She…I was adopted about twelve years ago," Lance continued. "Ms Place…Lillian…she is my birth mother." Zeke nodded slightly, but otherwise seemed unfazed.

"And why are you looking for her?" he asked. Lance blinked hard at the question. When he had made the decision to find his biological mother, it made perfect sense to him. But with each person who asked him why he was doing it, he lost a little more of his confidence in the validity of his quest.

"I haven't seen her since I was very little, and I don't remember her," Lance finally answered. "I would like the chance to get to know her."

"Don't you think that maybe there's a reason why you don't know her?" Zeke drawled. "Like that maybe you're better off with the people who took you in?"

"Maybe," Lance said, meeting his stare. "But I'd like a chance to determine that myself." The two carnies looked at each other for a moment, and Lance could feel himself sweating. It was not just from the sticky heat that surrounded him either.

Suddenly the two of them began to chuckle, and Zeke regarded Lance with a crooked grin.

"Well kid…you've got balls at the very least," he said. "Tell you what…feel free to wander around and ask anyone about Lil. I can't guarantee though that you'll find out anything, but go ahead and try."

"Thank you," Lance said, smiling back. "I don't suppose there's anything you can tell me?" The other man walked away, and Zeke moved closer to Lance. His face became solemn.

"Kid, what I can tell you is this: as soon as you said that you were Lil's son, I knew that you were telling the truth. You look so much like her, you could be her twin. But son, Lil is….not the mothering type." Zeke then shuffled back and forth for a bit before continuing.

"I know she's had a hard life…and that maybe deep down, she's got a decent heart. But kid, the kindest thing she probably did was let you go."

"Do you know where she is?" Lance asked, undeterred. The man sighed and shook his head.

"Nope, I don't," he responded. "Haven't seen her in years. But I know that she gets around almost everywhere, so if you talk to enough people, you're bound to find someone who will know something."

"Well thank you for your help," Lance said, holding out his hand. Zeke hesitated, but then grabbed it and gave it a firm shake.

"I don't know if you should thank me kid, but take care of yourself anyway."

* * *

Lance spent the next three and a half hours wandering around looking for people to talk to. The sun continued to generate a miserable swelter, but he pushed onward. He used Zeke's name whenever he approached someone, but all that seemed to gain him was a chance to ask a couple questions before they would walk away without telling him a thing.

After a little while longer, Lance discovered that he was extremely weary due to a combination of heat, walking and frustration. He collapsed onto a wooden bench and stared at the ground which was dirty with bits of popcorn and sawdust that had clumped together in the damp air.

"Hey kid…you aren't going to pass out are ya?"

Lance looked up to see a craggy-faced man standing next to him. He wore a plain, dirty tee-shirt and baggy pants. Lance could see traces of greasepaint around the edges of his face, and he guessed that he was a clown.

"No, I'm all right," Lance lied. The truth was that his tongue felt thick and dry in his mouth, and he was starting to feel lightheaded. The man nodded and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Right…sure you are," he sneered. "That's why you look like you're about to pitch forward onto the ground." Lance couldn't think of anything to say to that so he went back to looking downward. The man tugged at Lance's shirt.

"Come on. I know a place that's cooler where I can get you something to drink."

* * *

A few minutes later, Lance and the clown were sitting under an open-faced tent. The shade certainly helped to cut down on the heat as did the huge cup of lemonade that the man brought him. Lance ended up drinking half of it within a minute or two.

"Feeling better?" the clown asked, settling into a folding chair next to him.

"A little," Lance nodded. "Thank you, Mister…?"

"Folks call me Rotundo," the man said. "So just call me that." Lance raised an eyebrow at this. While he was sure that 'Rotundo' was a stage name, the clown's rail-thin frame matched his own. But he decided to not argue the point.

"Yes, thank you, Rotundo," Lance said taking another gulp of lemonade.

"No problem," the clown said, leaning back. "I've been watching you mill around here on and off ever since I caught you talking to Zeke. Figured that you were wearing yourself out by now." He looked Lance over.

"Are you sure you're old enough to be wandering around by yourself?"

"I'm eighteen," Lance sighed. "I'm not a child."

"Yes you are," Rotundo said, tilting his head at him. "You look like you're pretty gutsy and smart, but you've got some more growing to do." Lance shook his head, but remained silent. He wasn't in the mood to argue about the relative meaning of a person's age.

"I hear you're looking for Mystic Lil…that you're her long-lost son," the clown added.

"Yes, do you know where I can find her?" Lance asked, eager.

"Sorry kid, I don't," Rotundo said, shaking his head. "I've made sure to avoid her and her crowd most of the time. Old Zeke got a little too close to her and well….that's all that needs to be said there."

Lance slumped down in his seat, defeated. He hated that he was making so little headway. He took in some more of the cool liquid in his cup before asking another question.

"Can I ask you something?"

"It depends," Rotundo said, pulling out a flask from his pocket and taking a sip.

"I heard some of the other workers talking about the possibility that they might have to 'wildcat' at some point," Lance said. "What did they mean by that?"

"That's circus talk," the clown nodded sagely. "Why do you want to know?"

"People interest me," Lance shrugged. "I've sort of made people my life's work."

"What? Are you studying to be a doctor or something?"

"Close. I'm a psychologist," Lance said, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I guess you could say that I'm already a doctor."

Rotundo stared at him for a few minutes silently, which made Lance nervous. The clown then leaned closer to him.

"Kid, there are two things that I'm good at in life: one is making people laugh and the other is spotting a phony…You, kid…it's hard to believe, but you are not a phony. I can see it." He then took another swig from his flask.

"I remember, years ago, Lil said that there were really smart people in her family. Geniuses even," he continued. "A cousin who was really good with computers. A distant aunt who was a writer. Things like that. Most of them are dead now. Lil herself was more street-smart than anything else, but it looks like you got some of those smart genes…So... I'll tell you what you want to know."

"About my birth mother," Lance inquired.

"No, about having to wildcat," Rotundo snorted. "That's when you have to change routes because of some unforeseen event, like bad weather."

"Oh," Lance nodded.

"Look kid, I really shouldn't be telling you this stuff 'cause you're not one of us," the clown said. "But…some of us owe Lil some favors and you seem like a good sort. So….if I tell you stuff, just don't go spreading it around, ok?"

"I won't," Lance promised.

Rotundo went on to explain all kinds of circus lingo that Lance had heard while walking around and even talked about some other phrases that Lance hadn't picked up on.

Then the conversation moved onto stories from the clown's life on the road. Lance suspected that many of these "memories" were actually tall tales, but Rotundo was an engaging storyteller so he didn't mind. After a couple of hours, Lance was refreshed and rested, but he also knew that he would probably get nothing else done today.

For his part, Rotundo did make a suggestion about which circus Lance should choose next in order to find some more people who knew Lillian better. He even recommended a motel a few miles away from his next destination that was cheap but clean.

"Trust me, it will look like a dump from the outside," the clown said. "But the owners are good people. You'll get a decent night's sleep there."

"Thanks again for everything," Lance said, rising to his feet. Rotundo stood up with him.

"No problem," he said. "But can I ask you something? You said you were adopted, right?"

"Yes," Lance said, pulling out his wallet. He took out a picture of David and Carolyn from about four years ago when he first started college. "This is my mom and dad."

"She's a beautiful woman," the clown mumbled while looking at the photo. "Not just pretty. I'll bet her husband feels lucky to have her."

Lance glanced at the picture himself before putting it back in his wallet and stuffing it in his pocket. He had often thought of his mother as a lovely woman even as her hair turned silver and lines formed on her face. But a piece of him wondered if that was because of the beautiful soul that he knew she possessed. It was rather gratifying to know that others could see Carolyn's full beauty as well.

"Kid…I can tell that that woman is the one who is actually your mother," Rotundo said somberly. "You may _look_ nothing like her, but you _are _nothing like Lil either. Try to keep that in mind."

"I will," Lance said. Rotundo nodded and began to walk away, waving at him as he went.

"Good luck on your quest, kid…I hope you find what you're looking for."


	54. Year Thirteen, Discovery, part 3

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating this one. I hit a snag on it, but I think I have it worked out now. So here's a longer chapter. :)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It means a lot to me. :D

**Buttercups3**: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. :) I'm sure you'll enjoy this longer chapter...And yes, I'm sure the dimples were even more cute back then, thus inspiring a lot of strangers to want to interact with him. ;)

**Mendenbar**: Of course the problem is that Lance has to figure out all of this for himself without David or Carolyn if he is to learn anything. And you're right, Rotundo has a clearer view of the probable outcome.

**Lives in the now:** Thank you! :) As I mentioned, I figured that Lance would start to resemble the person we see on the show since that's only about four years from this point (granted a lot will happen in those four years). I hope you enjoy the rest of this as well.

**Fearlee**: Thanks! I try to use as much of what we know from canon as possible in this fic. And I like having more than one thing going so that if I hit a snag in one story, I can spend more time on another one. So it's fun for me to have more than one project going...even if it does mean a lot of writing. ;)

**Blueeyesmillby**: Rotundo was a fun character to write for. :) I imagine that Sweets has a natural ability to get people to talk to him...even if it's only one or two in a tight knit community like this.

**Fear Herself**: Yeah, I'll admit to smiling a little while writing the dialogue with Rotundo...and yes, circuses are a little freaky. That's part of the reason why I didn't make it really whimsical in this fic. Thanks again and hope to see more from you soon.

**Sweetfavoritethings**: It's interesting to think about this now when I consider the storyline that I have going in The Measure of the Spirit...but I agree that it would be interesting to do this plot on the show. It could lead to a lot of character development...and extra airtime with Sweets which is always good. ;)

**Leventhumps101**: I think it may be your first review, so welcome. :D I did try to sneak in some references to Bones in this story, so I'm glad you enjoyed them...And I agree that JFD is a great actor who is able to bring so much to Sweets despite sometimes having little to work with. I hope you enjoy the rest of this fic.

**DukeFan1982**: It's hard to say if it will be the answers he's looking for, but Lance will get a some answers from this trip. Thanks for the reviews. :D

**xxxMidnightSunxxx**: Welcome to you as well. :D Thank you for your review...I hope to write a book of my own someday, but for now I'm having fun with fanfiction. :) I hope you enjoy the rest of this as well.

Year Thirteen—Discovery—part 3

The next morning, Lance began his drive toward the next circus on his list, which happened to be the one that Rotundo suggested. He blinked hard and yawned as he worked to make himself fully awake and alert on his journey.

The motel the clown had recommended did indeed look like some kind of rat-trap on the outside with peeling paint and creaking shutters, but the rooms inside turned out to be clean and comfortable if a bit sparse.

But it wasn't the accommodations that had kept him up most of the night; it was his own jumbled thoughts. Lance spent hours considering everything that Zeke and Rotundo told him about Lillian.

'_What kind of person is my mother?'_ he wondered_. 'Nobody seems to have any fond memories of her.'_

As he drove, Lance remembered how when he was still living in fear with Andrew, he had often wished that Lillian had taken him with her. For years he was convinced that the reason she left him behind was because Andrew was right in saying that he was worthless and stupid. Even as he grew up under his parents' care, that idea continued to plague him.

Lance shuddered and gripped the steering wheel even tighter. This search was stirring up his old feelings of insecurity and self-loathing and making them rise to the surface. He knew that was a possibility when he started this, but it didn't make dealing with it any less painful. Still he was determined to press onward.

'_I can't always think about me and my feelings. My birth mother had her reasons…It may have been Andrew or maybe it's like Zeke and Rotundo said and she's not capable as a mother…Either way, I should try to understand her point of view.'_

Suddenly Lance wished that he could see Carolyn. He hadn't talked to his parents for over three days: the longest he had gone since the day Carolyn met him at the orphanage. He had managed to leave a message on their answering machine to let them know that he had arrived in Florida safely, but he hadn't had much access to telephones over the past couple of days. Even if he was around a phone, he didn't know what to say and wanted a chance to sort out his feeling before he spoke to them again.

But thinking about when Carolyn met him at the orphanage brought up a number of early memories of her. Lance reflected at how she was with him in those days as he got to know her and when she and David had brought him into their home.

'_Mom…she wanted to be my mother from the beginning. Even though I wasn't hers. How was she able to do that when I wasn't willing to trust anyone and kept pushing her away?'_

'_When my own birth mother didn't even want me?'_

Soon rows of colorful tents and a cluster of cars jammed tightly together came into his line of vision. Lance shook these thoughts off; he needed to be calm and thoughtful while he searched for Lillian at this circus. While parking his car, he was able to finally shove down his feelings of sadness and rejection.

But he couldn't get rid of his homesickness.

* * *

Carolyn was sitting in her front room, trying to distract herself with some knitting. With David home and helping out, most of the household chores were usually done by early afternoon. That left her with many hours to fill. She continued to visit with friends and attend her gardening club, but even then she had time on her hands.

She completed a couple more stitches on the afghan she was making and then sat it down in her lap.

Carolyn knew that David also faced the problem of finding new pursuits for his time. Her husband had always been an active man with plenty to do. While they were both enjoying the chance to reconnect as husband and wife, Carolyn worried that David was not finding retirement fulfilling.

She folded up the pieces of the blanket that she had finished and placed them and her knitting supplies into a large wooden box by the chair. Carolyn then got up and wandered over to the array of photos that was displayed nearby. She was sure that a large part of the reason that she was dwelling over her concerns was because she hadn't heard from Lance. She wasn't too worried about his safety since his phone message had told her that he had arrived and would be unable to call very often over the next few days.

Still Carolyn longed to hear her son's voice, just so that she could reassure herself that he was in a good place physically and mentally.

'_Stop that,'_ she thought shaking her head_. 'Lance is a grown man. He can take care of himself. He will call when he can. Besides he's probably busy catching up with his…'_

Carolyn was surprised when she realized that she couldn't bring herself to think of Lillian as Lance's birth mother. Ever since the first day Lance called her "Mom", Carolyn refused to entertain the notion that any other woman was his mother.

But now her son was seeking out a woman who could rightly claim to be his mother, at least in the undeniable biological sense. A woman who had given birth to him and had held him in her arms as a baby. A woman who had seen his first smile, heard his first words, and seen his first wobbly steps in the world.

Carolyn's arms trembled and she wrapped them around herself. She was suddenly jealous that Lillian had been the one to have those experiences and not her.

'_How could she ever give him up?'_ she thought angrily. _'How could she walk away and leave her precious baby with that monster?'_

While she had given her blessing and reassurance to Lance to go ahead and search for Lillian, a part of her couldn't help but wonder about the kinds of things that they could be sharing right at this moment: the memories they could discuss…the new ones that could be created.

'_No,'_ she shook herself_. 'I won't worry about things like that. Lance is a generous person and he will be kind to her. But he's __my__ baby, __my__ son. Lillian will not replace me. She can't.'_

Even so, these thoughts could not stop Carolyn from wanting to see and hold Lance so that she could reassure herself of this fact.

* * *

For perhaps the umpteenth time, Lance wished that he had packed lighter, more casual clothes for this trip. He perspired heavily as he walked around the circus grounds and managed to continue to stand out in his sky blue dress shirt and black slacks, despite the fact that he was careful to skip the tie this time.

He also made sure to buy himself a large beverage to sip on while he walked so that he wouldn't become dehydrated again, but the prickly heat continued to burn any of his fair skin that was exposed.

Most frustrating of all was the fact that he was having even less luck with this circus than the last one he visited. Lance had been able to track down the owners and gain permission to speak to the workers, but it was only after a great deal of persuasion and begging on his part. Even after he had managed to get that permission, Lance couldn't get anyone to listen to him for more than a minute or two let alone speak to him. After a while, some even quickened their pace when they saw him coming so as to avoid him.

Hot, tired and angry, Lance eventually rested for a few minutes on a bench and tried to calm himself. He took to watching how the circus workers interacted as a way to distract himself from his misery. Armed with the knowledge that Rotundo have given him, he was able to make some intriguing observations. Piqued by his curiosity, he eventually began to walk around and explored the grounds in an attempt to learn more about the workers themselves.

After a couple more hours, Lance tired of this and of the walking so he left. He drove down the road to get back on the highway, but a roadside diner caught his eye. Lance felt his stomach growl, so he decided to stop there for a meal.

Walking in, he noticed that the décor was drab and overly brown in hue, but neat. He plopped down into an empty booth and picked up the menu sitting there. Soon a tired looking waitress shuffled over and poured him a glass of water and then pulled out a pad and pencil from her pocket.

"What can I get you, hon?" she drawled.

Lance ordered and the waitress left, promising him that his food would come "in a jiffy". While he waited, Lance watched the sky lose its pale golden sheen for a violet blue twilight. Seconds after the sun disappeared, the waitress reappeared with his order. As he ate, he was impressed with how enjoyable his meal was considering that it was so cheap. Lance tried to find some happiness in the fact that he had been able to find numerous ways to keep his expenses low. However, it didn't change the fact that he would probably have to find somewhere secluded to park his car so that he could sleep in it that night.

As he finished the last remnants of his meal, Lance went back to looking out the window and watched as the stars started to come out.

'_Did I make a mistake doing this?'_ he thought. _'Shouldn't I have just been happy with the wonderful parents I have instead of seeking out someone who was never really a part of my life?'_

Lance gulped down some soda and felt his insides twist as he mulled over these thoughts.

'_What if I upset Mom and Dad? Mom said she was fine with me doing this…but what if she wasn't really? What if she just said that to make me feel better? And Dad. What if Dad's still mad at me?'_

Lance picked up the bill and hastily pulled out some money to pay it along with the tip and then darted out of the restaurant. Starting up his car and pulling out to the road, he found that he had to blink back tears.

'_I'm sorry Mom and Dad…I wish you were here.'_

_

* * *

_Many miles away, Carolyn suddenly looked up from her book and looked distressed. David was sitting next to her, reading his paper, and noticed her actions.

"Carolyn, what is it?" he asked, putting the paper down.

"I…I don't know why, but I keep thinking that Lance needs us," she said softly. David…I wish he would call. I just want to know that he's all right." Carolyn sat her book down and began to sniffle. David took her into his arms.

"I'm sure he's all right and that he'll call here soon," he soothed. "He's probably on the road most of the time right now and plus he's got a lot to sort out."

"Do you think that he could be talking to her right now?" she asked. "That maybe he's busy learning to…connect with her? Relate to her?" David kissed her cheek in an effort to halt this line of thought.

"Carolyn, Lance would never push you aside for her," he said. "You know that. In fact, did you know that he wanted me to tell you about his decision to search for Lillian?" Carolyn shook her head, and David held her closer.

"He was so worried about hurting your feelings that he didn't trust himself to say the right thing to you," he said.

As soon as he said that, David's shoulders sagged and he shook his head.

"You were right…that's why I acted the way I did with him," David said. "I should have known that he loves you too much to hurt you and even if he managed to do it, you would understand. It…it makes sense that he's not comfortable with calling right now."

Carolyn managed to smile ruefully at the situation and rested her head against David's shoulder.

"Listen to us…beating ourselves up over our feelings about our son," she said. "Lance loves both of us and knowing him he's worried about what we are thinking about him. We certainly are quite the family, aren't we?"

"You're right," David said as he turned to look at her and took her hand. "All three of us should have more faith in the bonds that we share." Carolyn sat up a little while still staring into her husband's eyes.

"David…after Lance visits us and goes back to college, let's go away for a little while," she said. David raised his eyebrow at that, but she smiled back at him.

"I know that you could use the change of pace," Carolyn continued. "You've been cooped up here, worrying about Lance or me. You should take some time to enjoy yourself." She then leaned close and began to kiss her husband passionately.

"Let's spend a couple weeks at Jack's cabin," she murmured, his lips inches away from David's. "I want a chance to have my husband all to myself."

David grinned and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"I'm always 'all yours' Carolyn," he said. "But you're right again…we'll go ahead and take some time away after this. I think it will do both of us some good."

The two of them spent most of the night in each others arms. When their thoughts did drift away, it was only to send love to their son, who they cherished.

* * *

While strolling around his third circus in as many days, Doctor Lance Sweets came to two conclusions: that he never wanted to smell cotton candy again and that sleeping in one's car yields little sleep and many stiff joints. He had spent much of the morning working out the kinks and cricks out of his neck and back.

He also found his patience wearing thin as he faced another day of pacing about under a blazing sun. As the day dragged on, his mood continued to fall since his search was even more fruitless today than it had been the past two days. Lance was confident that he had gathered enough information about the interpersonal relationships among circus workers to begin some serious work on yet another dissertation, but decided to leave that to other hands. Besides, none of it was helping him in the task at hand.

Suddenly, a royal blue tent decorated with gold shapes on the edge of the grounds caught his eye. But it was the sign on the entrance that excited him.

'_Mystic Lil, Psychic Extraordinaire'_

'_Palm Reading, Fortune-Telling and Love Signs.'_

Lance practically ran over to the tent, but stopped himself a couple feet from it to catch his breath and to steady his nerves.

'_All right…best to remain casual and business-like,'_ he told himself. _'It's been years since we've seen each other, and this woman does not know me as her child. Nor am I really… I should simply introduce myself and let her set the tone of this conversation.'_

Lance gulped and then walked inside.

Sitting at a round table with a crystal ball in the center was a young woman dressed in garish "gypsy-like" attire. As she looked up at him, her blond ringlet curls bounced.

"Um…I'm here to see Mystic Lil," Lance stammered. The woman got up from her chair, her mouth hanging open in shock. She walked over to him and stared for a moment more before speaking.

"You…you must be Lance," she gasped. "Lil said I would know you by your face, but I didn't really believe her…But she was right."

"Where is she?" he asked. "Can I talk to her?" The woman looked down to the ground.

"Lil's not here," she said. "She told me to tell you that she won't be back any time soon. She knew you were coming, and she left me this to give you."

The woman pulled out a small but thick envelope from her pocket and handed it to him. It was blank on the outside except for the name "Lance" written in a stylish cursive.

"She also told me to tell you to stop looking for her," the woman continued. "She said that that letter explains things and that you would understand." She turned to leave, but Lance stood in front of her to stop her.

"Wait…did she…did she say anything else?" he asked. The woman sighed and maneuvered around him.

"Just that…just that she wishes you a safe trip home," she said. The woman ran out the tent and out of view.

Lance stood there and turned the envelope around in his hands for a couple minutes. He then stuffed it into his pocket and left. As if on auto-pilot, he took off in his car and drove for hours straight to the airport he came in on. He spent most of the rest of his money in returning the car and buying a ticket back to his hometown.

While waiting for his flight, Lance found an area of the terminal that was practically empty and sat down. He pulled the envelope out of his pocket and stared at it. He had avoided thinking about that or about the feelings that were trying to overtake him during the last few hours, and he knew that opening that envelope would release everything inside him.

But Lance also knew that this was not the time for running away, but a time to face what life had dealt him.

He tore open the envelope and took a deep breath as he began to examine the contents.


	55. Year Thirteen, Discovery, part 4

Author's Note: Here is the next chapter at last. Sorry about the wait...Looks like my plan to end this in August isn't going to work out after all. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch93**: Yes, I got the sense from the show that Sweets has some unresolved issues with his birth mother...and my fic is not going to solve them either...

**LivesInTheNow**: Thank you for that...The last few chapters of this will be rather bleak for just the reason you mentioned.

**Fear Herself**: Yeah what can I say? I'm addicted to them. ;P And I'm glad that you enjoyed the scenes with Carolyn and David...I was wanting to focus on them for a bit. Oh and I see you finally updated. :D I will be R&R soon...

**Fatewalker**: Well as the previous chapter points out, Sweets is not really going to get the chance to meet her. And this chapter will not make things so clear-cut either...Yes, I'm starting to get a handle on things, but now I'm having to adjust to this new fall schedule. Hopefully I can get back on a routine of updating again soon.

**Mendenbar**: Haha. :D. Well put. This chapter might be a bit amusing to you on that front.

**Buttercups3**: Yeah, I thought it was funny too...Anyway, I'm glad you liked the work I did with Carolyn. I felt like she had been neglected a bit lately, and this seemed like a great plot-line to do more with her character...No, Sweets will not find what he was originally looking for in this chapter, but not all hope is lost for him...

**Fearlee**: Thank you, and you will finally see the letter at last...And yes, I figured that Lillian was probably a complex person as will be reflected here. Thanks again for all your reviews.

**DukeFan1982**: Sorry, but I'm sure you can relate with the early semester rush to settle into a routine. It was playing havoc on my time for fic-writing. Anyway, here's the next chapter at last. :D I hope you enjoy it.

**xxxMidnightSunxxx**: I don't know if it's a word, but I'm sure it's one a lot of people use to refer to me. ;) But thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Black Forests**: Thank you and welcome. :D I'm glad you enjoyed this fic thus far and I hope you will enjoy the rest of it as well...As for the insights, you don't want to know how much time I spent analyzing the show and thinking about the psychology of it all...Still, it led to a story that's been a joy to write. ;)

Year Thirteen—Discovery—part 4

Inside was a large off-white piece of paper that was folded into a tight square. It had been wrapped around a photograph which rested at the center of the folds. Lance stared at it: it was a picture of him as a toddler being held by a woman who he was sure was Lillian. The two of them were smiling while standing next to a beach somewhere. As he stared at it, Lance could not help but be stunned by the striking resemblance Lillian had with him; it was as if she was a feminine version of himself.

Lance traced his finger along the image of his birth mother's face. It had been years since he could remember what she looked like, but seeing her in this photograph brought forth a faint glimmer of recognition, of memory. But it wasn't so much a series of events that he began to recall; it was more like feelings or impressions.

'_A tired set of eyes watching him crawl toward her.'_

'_Trembling hands patting his head in a loss to stop him from crying.'_

'_A voice thick with tears begging him to be still.'_

'_A face that was always looking toward an open window or door.'_

Lance stuffed the photo back into the envelope and sat it on top of his suitcase. He then began to read the letter that had come with it. It had the same fancy penmanship as the envelope. It almost seemed old-fashioned and…thoughtful in its own way.

_Lance,_

_I will not presume to call you my son since I cannot expect for you to call me "mother". So consider these words to be from someone who only knows you by blood. _

_It was merely an accident that we even have this kind of tie. I was not meant to have a child and yet I found myself with a baby to take care of and a lover who was incapable of caring for either of us. _

_When I left you alone all those years ago, I was aware that I was committing a grave wrong against you. But on the day I left, I had seen my future and it was death. My life was bleeding away every second that I remained there, and I knew that if I wanted to live, I had to let go of every last remnant of that place. And that included you. I do not expect your forgiveness nor can I explain my actions to you. It simply had to be._

_But a black cloud did haunt me every moment after I left…cursing me for what I had done. It did not part until the day a woman came to me asking me to sign a paper that would sever my ties to you in a legal sense. This astonished me since I felt that this had already been done when I walked away from you, but then your lawyer showed me a picture of you and the couple who wanted to adopt you. She gave it to me and I will carry it with me until I die._

_When I looked into the eyes of the couple who were holding you, I saw something that I knew I was fated to never have: love…steadfast, unbreakable, boundless love. Love for each other and love for you. _

_Signing that paper was merely a formality. Those people were always your parents from the day you were born and our time together was just a mistake in the cosmos. Unfortunately, it took a series of painful events to lead you to where you belonged, but I knew on that day that I had seen that mistake get corrected at last. _

_I had heard from some old friends of mine that you were looking for me, and I know that our meeting again would be another mistake. But I did want the chance to say one last thing to you, thus this letter._

_Besides, I sense that you are seeking answers, and I can tell you that I cannot give you the ones you need. The fact is, the real questions that you need to ask are not ones you should ask me. Instead, you should go to the woman who you know is your mother. Once you see her, you will know what it is you need to say. _

_I wish you well Lance, but please go and do not seek me out again. Our paths were not meant to cross in this life or in any other. _

_Enclosed is a photograph that I am giving in return for the one that was given to me all those years ago. I remember that day as being one of the happiest ones we had as woman and child. But it was also the first day that I had an inkling that we would have to separate in order to become the people we were meant to be. _

_Lillian._

Lance stared at the letter; unable to understand what he was feeling as a series of conflicting thoughts entered his mind.

'_She only cared about herself…she doesn't care about my feelings.'_

'_How could she just brush aside her leaving me with Andrew with not even an attempt of an explanation?'_

'_Was her life that bad? Would she have survived if she had stayed?'_

'_She never wanted a child…So what does that make me? A mistake?'_

'_She let me go…she wished me well…shouldn't I forgive her?'_

Lance's hands shook as he folded the letter back up and put it back into the envelope. He placed it deep within his suitcase and seconds later, the intercom alerted him that his flight was boarding. He grabbed his suitcase and headed off to the check-in counter so that he could get on the plane.

During his flight, Lance's thoughts and feelings were no less tangled up even as he tried desperately to sort them out. At the forefront of his concerns was a sick feeling that he couldn't get rid of. At first he thought it was anger at his birth mother, and he tried to reason his way out of it. After all, it wasn't healthy to carry a grudge and Lance knew from his studies in psychology that women in abusive relationships often act the way she did when in that situation.

But as he continued to grapple with it, Lance realized that it wasn't anger that he was feeling: it was rejection. The same feelings of rejection that had plagued him his entire life.

After arriving at his destination and walking out into the terminal, Lance looked into his wallet and realized that he might not have enough money to pay for a taxi. Dreading the idea of having to call his parents for a ride, he decided to see how far he could get with the money he had. After that…he would think of something.

Lance flagged a cab and gave the driver the address. He then kept a close eye on the meter while he rode. When the fare was within a few dollars of what was in his wallet, Lance had the driver stop, and after he got out, he gave the driver everything he had. Watching the taxi speed off, Lance figured that he was only about seven miles from his home, so he decided to walk. It was late evening by this point and the sky was starting to darken due to time and the clouds that were billowing. As he walked, Lance tried to further clear his head. Although the painful throb of rejection continued to grow, he eventually found that he was able to forgive his birth mother.

'_Andrew was a bully and a tormentor…Who knows what he did to her? I'm sure she felt hopeless and unable to cope…'_

But as was so often the case, he could not reason away his own dark feelings and insecurities. He was so caught up in his thoughts; he didn't even notice it when it started to sprinkle.

'_She probably stayed as long as she did for me….But not because she loved me…because it was the right thing to do, maybe?'_

'_All I did was burden her…hold her back…trap her in a destructive relationship.'_

The rain swiftly moved from a sprinkle to a downpour, but Lance paid it no mind.

'_Why can't I bring something good to people's lives? I brought misery to Lillian's world and anger to Andrew's. Am I only going to be helpful through psychology?'_

'_And my parents...all the grief I've given them...__Why did Mom choose me? Out of all the children at that orphanage? Why didn't she walk away when she learned how damaged I was?'_

'_What was she looking for that day?'_

He startled himself with that last question, but it led to an epiphany. While it was true that he was looking for answers and a sense of closure, his desire had been misdirected. Lance was curious about his mother. But it wasn't Lillian that he was curious about…it was Carolyn.

'_Is that what Lillian meant in the letter? That it was Mom who I was wondering about all along?'_

Lance shuddered and he wasn't sure if it was from his soaked clothes clinging to him or from the eerie feeling that there may be something to this whole "psychic" persona his birth mother adopted.

Knowing that it was useless to wonder any more about Lillian, he continued to trudge along the road. He was grateful for the fact that his suitcase was waterproof, but his mood soon mirrored the weather that he was stuck in.

* * *

Carolyn sat by the phone and tried valiantly to distract herself with a book. It was now almost five days since she had heard from her son, and she was growing tenser by the hour.

'_Why hasn't he called? Just to let us know how things are going?'_

She berated herself even as she thought this, but could not stop worrying. Carolyn did not want to be a controlling parent who demanded a report of her child's every movement. Still, she longed for some reassurance that Lance was well. She had moved past her fears that Lance would grow too close to Lillian. But now she was concerned about the possibility that things had not gone well between her son and his birth mother. And while Carolyn Sweets was known as a gentle, patient and tender-hearted woman, the thought that Lillian might have hurt Lance filled her with anger.

'_The way she discarded him…she never deserved him.'_

'_Do I?'_

Carolyn swallowed hard at that thought. When she was told all those years ago that she could never have children, she became convinced that it was a message that she wasn't cut out to be a mother. It had taken time and a lot of love and reassurance from David to convince her otherwise. Even then she still carried around lingering doubts that she would never get to experience motherhood until her and David had adopted Lance.

She suddenly thought back to the day when Lance first called her "mom". David had told her that Lance had asked permission from him to call him "dad", but his calling her "mom" that day had been completely unexpected.

'_What made him do that?'_ she wondered. _'What finally convinced him that I was his mother after all?'_

Carolyn gave up trying to read and placed a bookmark next to the page she just finished, laying the book down onto a stand beside her. Restless, she walked to the front room window and gazed outside. By this point, the clouds had blotted out most of the remaining sunlight and the rain was coming down in sheets. David had left a couple of minutes ago to pick up some food for the two of them, sensing that his wife was too pensive to cook. She was anxious for him to come back.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Carolyn was started; she knew that David had his keys and it was a bit too soon for him to be back. She looked out the window next to the door and gasped at who she saw there.

"Lance," she said, hurriedly moving to the door and opening it. There on her front porch was her son, drenched and with a dejected look on his face.

"Mom…I…" Carolyn grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

"Why are you walking around in this weather?" she asked, shutting the door behind him. She pushed his suitcase to the side to dry and went back to fussing over him.

"You're soaked," she said rubbing his arms. She then guided him toward the bathroom.

"Here," Carolyn said. "Get out of those wet things, and I'll get you something dry to change into."

"Mom…I'm sorry that I didn't call," Lance said roughly. Carolyn put a hand on his cheek.

"Shh…it's all right," she said. "Let's get you changed and then we will talk, ok?"

* * *

A few minutes later, Lance was sitting in the family room wearing one of his father's robes and a spare set of his pajamas. He was not as tall and broad shouldered as David, but Lance had grown to almost six feet tall in the last couple of years. So, fortunately, they were not too ill-fitting on him. A moment later, his mother walked in with a cup of coffee.

"Your father will be home soon," she said, handing him the mug and sitting down next to him. "Unfortunately, we only ordered enough food for two, but I can whip something up here in a minute. That way we can stretch it into a meal for all of us." Lance nodded and sipped at the coffee. Carolyn began to run her fingers through his wet hair.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked. "You've been so quiet ever since you got here. Did something happen in Florida?"

"I…I didn't find her," Lance answered quietly. "Not really. She found out that I was looking for her and she left a letter with some of her friends along with a message that she wanted me to stop trying to find her."

"I'm so sorry, Lance," Carolyn soothed taking his hand. "I know that this was important to you. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"It's all right, Mom," he said turning toward her. Despite his words, Carolyn could see the sadness and uncertainty in her son's eyes. In that moment, she knew that a part of her would never forgive Lillian for making him feel that way.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," Carolyn smiled.

"That day…the day you met me at the orphanage…what were you looking for?" Lance asked. "And…why were you crying?"

Carolyn fell back against the couch and remained silent for a few moments. Eventually she sat back up and put her arm around her son.

"Did your father ever tell you about the day we met?" she said.

"He said that you accidentally ran into each other in the place you were working at and that he took you to get some coffee," Lance answered. Carolyn nodded and smiled.

"That first time…when we were together...it was like nothing I had ever experienced," she continued. "Every word shared between us…every glance…It was as if we had been connected our whole lives and we had just been given a chance to know each other at last. I had heard of the idea of soul mates as a girl, but I didn't really believe in that until I met David."

She took Lance's hand again and rubbed it with her thumb.

"That connection has led to a long, happy marriage between us," she said. "And I was sure that I would feel the same sort of connection when I got the chance to meet my child. So that's what I was looking for that day at the orphanage…And I was crying because I was starting to lose hope that I would ever find it."

"But…but didn't Lauren tell you that day that I was 'special needs'?" Lance asked. "Didn't she tell you why?"

"She did," Carolyn answered. "But baby…once I felt that connection with you, I knew there wasn't a chance that I could give that up. Besides, 'special needs' is just a label…It doesn't really mean anything and it says nothing about the person you are."

"Thanks Mom," Lance choked, trying to hold back his tears.

"You're welcome," she said gently. "And now, let me ask you a question." Lance sniffed hard and looked into her eyes.

"Tell me…what made you start calling me 'mom'?" she said. "David and I understand why you asked his permission to call him "dad", but what changed the day you called me 'mom'?" Lance hung his head.

"The night before…I had so many nightmares," he mumbled. "I can't even remember how many times I woke up crying…But every single time I woke up, you would hold me until I stopped crying…And then the next morning, you woke me up for school with a smile on your face…like nothing happened…Like I hadn't kept you up most the night." He looked back up at her, his expression intense.

"People had told me about mothers and what they do for their children while I was at the orphanage…And I…I figured that you had to be my mother or why else would you do all that for me?" Lance then hugged Carolyn close to him.

"I love you, Mom," he said, his voice tight. "And it's ok that I didn't talk to Lillian…I got the answers I needed anyway." Carolyn embraced him back.

"I love you too, baby," she murmured. "And I'm glad that you found what you were looking for."

"Lance?"

The two of them looked up to see David walking into the room. He quickly moved to sit on the other side of Lance on the couch.

"Where are your clothes?" David asked.

"They were drenched," Carolyn answered. "Lance had been walking home in this downpour."

"Sport, you should have called us," he frowned. "We would have been happy to pick you up or pay for a taxi."

"I know, Dad," Lance said, looking away. "I know I should have, but I…I…"

"Stop," David said, putting his arm around him and sighing. "Look…it's not your fault. It's mine. I'm sorry that I was so harsh with you. I should have tried to understand your feelings and helped you find the words to say to your mother instead of scolding you."

"It's ok, Dad," Lance said, finally starting to smile. "I forgive you. I'm just really happy to be home." David grinned and embraced his son.

"And we are always happy when you're here," he said. "So don't ever be afraid to call on us if you need us. We're your parents…we would do anything for you."

Lance smiled even more at his father's words. While a part of him was still disappointed that he might never receive true closure from his past, it was impossible for him to think of anything as important as the bonds that he shared with David and Carolyn.

They had given him a life and now they were giving him a future.


	56. Year Thirteen, Enchantment part 1

Author's Note: Well here's the next chapter. I know there was quite a gap between this and the last one, but I'm starting to be able to plan some time for writing every week. So I'm hoping to update all my projects more frequently. In fact, for those of you who follow all my work, expect another update for both The Measure of the Spirit and The Shade in the Heart some time this week. :D

I do not own Bones or any of its characters or the Ben Jonson poem quoted within.

Thank you to everyone who is still reading/following/reviewing this.

**TheVulcanPrincess**: Thank you. :D Having written this story and done some research on adoption for my psychology classes, I've begun to see how adoption is often a very meaningful thing, and that families forged by it often are indistinguishable from biological families. It certainly was that way for Sweets. I noticed on the show that he never seems to think of his adoptive parents as anything but his actual mom and dad.

**Fearlee**: I'm glad you liked the bit with Carolyn. I wanted the chance for the two of them to bond more. And you'll be happy to note that an update will be coming soon for TMotS. :)

**Lives in the now**: Thanks, it was cool how you noticed that. :) I guess my thinking is that Sweets gained a lot from his bio mom. What some people might perceive as "psychic ability" others might see as "brilliant insight into people"...much like what Sweets has.

**Buttercups3**: Thank you for your reviews as always. :D And good point that you bring up...the circus definitely has a society all of its own, and I think Lillian found her place there. I figured her to be a rather complex person who really did not wish any ill for Sweets...And sadly you're right. Despite the fact that Lillian tried to soften the blow by pointing him back toward Carolyn, this makes the second time she's left him behind. That sort of rejection seems to be at the root of those insecurities that you see on the show. I'm with you in hoping that Season Six will give him opportunities to grow.

**TimeWitch93**: In the episode The Double Trouble in the Panhandle, Sweets mentions that when he "reached the age of majority" he tried to find his birth mother. The key word to me there was "tried" implying to me that he was not sucessful. I started thinking about why he might not have been able to find her and thus this section of my story came about. Thanks again for all the reviews. :D

**xxxMidnightSunxxx**: Well I am getting close to the end of this, but no I still have a while to go. :) I still plan on taking this to about the point Sweets starts working for the FBI. If it makes you feel any better, I'm toying with a supplement fic to this story which will add more chapters to this once this is over. I hope you enjoy this next section.

**Cobalt6233**: Thank you...It did seem like a poignant image to me too. :)

**Sweetfavoritethings**: Thanks for the reviews...As to how many chapters are left...Well that's hard for me to pin down. When I write the first drafts in my writing journal, I actually don't separate each individual chapter. I only separate them by section or year, as indicated by the year numbers and titles for each part. Then when I type it up, I split it up by finding a place that I think is a good endpoint for each chapter. So all this means that I don't have a definite number of remaining chapters, but if I were pressed to guess, I'd say that this will end at around Chapter 70. But don't hold me to it. ;)

**BlackForests**: Yeah, I'm looking forward to the new season so that I can have new material to dissect, although I try to make sure to just enjoy new episodes the first time I watch them. I'm still running through old episodes, looking for new ideas. As much as I enjoy how much we've been given to work with in regards to Sweets' past, I hope they give us more in Season Six. :D

**Blueeyesmilby**: Sorry to say I am getting closer to the end. :( I know how you feel though. A part of me will be a little sad to see this one go since it was my first fanfiction and all. But...I know it must end sometime. Keep an eye out for the supplement fic that will start not long after this is finally finished. :)

**Fear Herself**: Yeah, I think a lot of people thought I was going to end it there. But nope, I still have some more that I want to write. Thanks for the support as always. :D

**TaniMayTrybrand**: Thank you. I hope you enjoy the rest of this as well.

**Fatewalker**: Good point. Sweets is the type of person who seems to feel the need to "give until it hurts" per se to the people he's close to. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he felt some sort of obligation to his bio mom. So I agree that it's just as well that they don't run into each other. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

**D** (can I call you D?): I find it hard to believe myself that if Andrew was abusing Sweets that he would leave Lillian untouched. Sadly, it's not uncommon for abused women to feel trapped and desperate. I think she probably believed in the concept of cosmic justice or karma, thus wanted to believe that Lance would end up with people who would love him. But then again, as some of my other work theorizes, Lillian might have seen what would ultimately happen to her in the end, and in that case, she was only delaying the inevitable. So again, it was for the best that Lance ended up in a separate place from her...Anyway thanks for all the reviews. :)

**Abandon-Morality**: Glad you enjoy it anyway. :) I have a big weakness for fluff which is only rivaled by my love of angst. Thus why both are featured so heavily in my work. I look forward to seeing any Sweets-centric fic you come up with. This site could always use more writers that focus on him. :)

Year Thirteen—Enchantment—part 1

The first thing Lance noticed about her was her eyes. They were a rich blue, and he found himself drawn into their depths.

Lance was sitting in the university library, working on his dissertation for his PsyD in Behavioral Analysis. These days he spent much of his time here, finding it beneficial not only for his research, but also for his writing process. He was grateful that this dissertation was moving along at a better pace than the first one did, but it was still a laborious undertaking.

Two weeks previous, Lance began to notice another student spending a lot of time there, and she often sat at the table opposite of his usual spot. He had noted that she was accompanied by stacks of books and papers and had begun to theorize that she was a fellow student working on her thesis or dissertation.

Along with her blue eyes, she had long, blond hair that fell in waves past her shoulders. She was medium height and had a willowy build. Despite the fact that it was January, her skin was tan.

Lance found that he enjoyed watching her: the studious look in her eyes, the way her brow crinkled while she read, and the way her hand raced along paper while she wrote. He tried hard not to stare, but he couldn't stop himself from taking a minute or two to watch her every once in a while.

He thought about trying to strike up a conversation many times, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His mind always managed to come up with a number of convenient excuses.

'_This is the quiet area of the library. Not the best place to be talking….She's probably hard at work on some important project. She doesn't need me bugging her….I really should work more on my own dissertation. After all, it's not going to write itself.'_

But all of those thoughts were attempts to hide from the fact that he was too scared to actually talk to her.

Lance looked back down at his books and sighed. Other than his one date with Gayle, Lance had not been entirely happy with the world of dating. When he did talk to women, it was usually with a group of friends. In that setting, all the women would either have significant others or would be friends that he didn't know if he would want to date. His friends tried setting him up on some blind dates, but every time it would end up as a couple of awkward hours spent in some coffee shop. Then the evening would end with the painful cliché of the woman wanting to be "just friends" with him. Lance quickly grew tired of the rejections and the incredulous looks he got when his dates found out how old he was, so he begged his friends to stop trying to fix him up.

Besides, these days, he didn't have much time for socialization due to his being so wrapped up in his studies. About the only contact he still had were his usual calls from his parents that were punctuated by occasional visits.

Lance shook his head and went back to work. He was somewhat ahead of schedule in his dissertation, but he wanted to move even further ahead so that he would have even more extra time to make sure it was perfect. A few minutes later, the woman left, and Lance was sorry to see her go.

* * *

Two days later, Lance was sitting in a small café, sipping at a large mug of coffee. He stared out the window, watching the people outside scurry about, wondering what sort of business they were heading off to.

"Hello there."

Lance looked over and saw the woman from the library sitting down in the seat across from him. Lance gulped down the coffee he had just taken into his mouth and coughed when some of it went down the wrong way.

"Gee, I didn't mean to startle you," she smiled. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah…fine…just…minute," Lance choked out, struggling to regain some composure.

"Well while you're doing that, let me introduce myself," the woman said. "My name is Laurel Durant, and you've been watching me at the library, haven't you?" Lance's face turned scarlet.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" he stammered.

"It's all right. You haven't set off the Creepy Meter yet," she grinned. "But I have to know, are you really a college student? You don't look a day over sixteen." Lance's heart sank; he dreaded the inevitable rejection that he was sure was coming next.

"My name is Lance Sweets, and I really am a college student," he assured her. "I'm eighteen actually, and right now, I'm working on my PsyD in Behavioral Analysis."

"Sweets...I like that name…Lance Sweets," she said, her gaze becoming distant. Suddenly, she sat up straighter in her chair as recognition became to glimmer in her eyes.

"Wait a minute. I think one of my friends mentioned you," Laurel said. "Yeah…she said that there was this genius kid in one of her psych classes who already had one doctorate and was going for another one…Is that you?"

"Guilty as charged," Lance blushed again. "I have a PhD in Clinical Psychology."

"Wow," Laurel beamed. "So…technically it's Doctor Sweets, isn't it?" Lance shifted nervously in his chair. He had become used to being able to expertly read people, but right now he couldn't tell if she was mocking him or not.

"I guess so," he replied. "But you can just call me Lance, if you want."

"Well Doctor Sweets…Lance…it's a pleasure to meet you," she giggled. "I've never had coffee with a bona fide genius before. It's kind of exciting."

Lance continued to blush and fidget, but if Laurel noticed, she didn't seem to care. The two of them ordered some more coffees and proceeded to spend the next three hours in conversation.

He found out that Laurel was working on her masters' thesis for a fine arts degree, and that she hoped to work in a major museum one day. She talked about all the places she lived in and why she loved New York the best so far. Lance didn't say very much during this conversation, but he didn't mind that. He had become lost in the melodic tone of her voice and fascinated in the stories that she was sharing with him. But he also couldn't deny that a part of him still couldn't get over the fact that this beautiful, intelligent, vibrant woman wanted to spend time with him.

"Oh no, I need to get going," Laurel said, looking at her watch. She got up from her chair as did Lance. He then pulled out his wallet to pay for the bill and tip.

"It was really great talking to..." he began.

"Do you like Italian?" she asked, cutting him off.

"Um…what?" he gulped. Laurel giggled again.

"Italian, silly. Do you like Italian food?" she said.

"Oh…um yeah," Lance answered. "I love Italian food."

"Great," she nodded. "How about you meet me in front of the library at around say, nine o'clock? For dinner?"

"Sure," he responded, startled by this turn of events.

"All right then, I'll see you later," Laurel said. "And don't be late because I know how to find you, Doctor Sweets."

"I'll be there on time, I promise," Lance added hastily.

"Bye," Laurel waved at him as she walked away.

"Bye," he waved back. He watched her walk out the café door and looked out the window to see her hurry down the street. Once she was well out of sight, he collapsed back into his chair and tried to process what just happened.

'_Does…does she like me? She must because we're going on a date…No, just dinner, not a date. She didn't say date…But still, she does want to see me again.'_

Lance paid the bill and tip and left the café himself. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he knew that he needed to concentrate on his work for a few more hours before he could concern himself with tonight.

* * *

Even though the thought of his upcoming dinner sometimes pushed all rational thought out of his mind, Lance found a way to work for a few more hours before he started getting ready for his meeting with Laurel. After a shower and an only slightly necessary shave, he began the process of figuring out what he should wear. He realized that he hadn't had the chance to ask Laurel how formal the restaurant was that they were going to. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he put on one of his best suits.

He then dug through a box of old textbooks. He had taken a couple of art appreciation courses when he was an undergraduate, so he flipped through his textbooks to refresh his memory on the various types of art that he had learned about.

After spending about an hour brushing up on his knowledge, Lance rushed off to the library and ended up arriving a half hour early. It was bitterly cold outside so he waited near the doors inside the library's lobby area. He paced about in an effort to calm his nerves; this was the first date he had been on in months. Lance desperately wanted things to go well. In that short amount of time spent together in the café, he had become entranced by her and was eager to learn more about her.

Five minutes before nine, Lance spotted Laurel almost running up the steps toward the library entrance. She saw him waving at her through the glass doors and smiled as she hurried inside.

"God this weather is just horrible," Laurel gasped as she moved close to Lance. "I just about froze on the way here. Feel my hands."

She grabbed his bare hands and burrowed her fingers toward his palms in an attempt to warm them. Lance had been surprised by her actions, but he quickly enfolded her hands into his own and began to rub them gently.

"They are cold," he murmured, looking down at how their fingers were entwined.

"Been waiting long?" she asked.

"No…just a few minutes," he said, continuing to try to warm her hands. "So…where are we going?"

I know this great family run place," Laurel answered. "Best cannelloni in town. Come on, we'll take my car.

* * *

They soon arrived at the restaurant, a cozy little casual dining place with only about a dozen tables and three booths along the wall. Laurel darted in and snagged a booth before another couple could take it. Lance then joined her, and as he took off his coat, he realized how much he stood out among the other diners, most of whom were clad in jeans and sweaters.

"Wow, nice suit," Laurel sat as he sat down. "I'm not used to guys showing up in a suit on a first date."

"Well…I uh...I wasn't sure if…" he started.

"Oh no, don't worry about it," she smiled. "I like a man who knows how to dress well."

Just then, a waitress came to their table to give them some menus and glasses of water. She recognized Laurel, and the two of them chit-chatted for a bit. After looking over the menu for a minute, the two of them ordered their meals.

"Oh and a glass of wine, Cheryl," Lauren said handing the waitress her menu. "Did you want anything, Lance?"

"Honey, are you sure you're old enough to drink?" Cheryl said. Lance looked down at the table.

"No, I'm eighteen," he said. "Water is fine." The waitress nodded and walked off.

"Sorry about that," Laurel said. "I sort of forgot about you being so young. Seeing you in that suit and talking to you, it's easy to do." She leaned back and took a long drag of water before speaking again.

"Drink to me only with thine eyes/And I will pledge with mine/Or leave a kiss but in the cup/And I'll not ask for wine," she recited. "Sort of appropriate, don't you think?" Lance nodded in response.

"The thirst that from the soul doth rise/Doth ask a drink divine/But might I of Jove's nectar sup/I would not change for thine," he recited back. "I agree…Jonson is a great poet."

"A genius and well read," she grinned back at him. "You know, I could fall for you, Doctor Sweets."

Soon their food arrived, and Lance had to admit that it was some of the best Italian food he had ever had. Their conversation drifted to literature and art for a while after that.

"So…what made you decide to study psychology, Lance?" Laurel said as she finished her last bite of food.

"Well…I've always wanted to find some way to help people, and this seemed like an excellent way to do it," Lance replied. "Besides, people are interesting."

"Really?" she said, taking another sip of wine. "Am I interesting?"

"Yes…very interesting," he said. "Beautiful, intelligent and very…interesting."

"You know, you're cute," she said leaning toward him. "And such a gentleman…it's nice."

"Thank you," he said, smiling a bit.

They continued to talk the night away, but eventually they realized that they were the only two diners left, and it was almost closing time for the restaurant.

"We should get going," Laurel said.

When the bill came, Lance tried to pay for the two of them, but Laurel insisted in paying her own share. After that was done, they hurried back to her car which Laurel immediately started up to try to avoid the cold.

"Hey, it's too cold to walk and good luck finding a taxi," she said. "Why don't you just tell me where you live, and I'll drop you off."

* * *

After Lance gave her the address, Laurel was able to expertly find her way to his apartment building. She parked, and turned to Lance with another smile on her face.

"I had a lovely time," she said. "What if I were to tell you that I'd like to do it again?"

"I'd like that," Lance said, nodding vigorously. "I…I really would." Laurel reached over and began to run her fingers through his wavy hair.

"You're sweet…just like your name," she said, leaning toward him. Lance moved closer to her and soon their lips met for a kiss. At first it was gentle and friendly, but it swiftly became passionate. Lance put his arms around her, pulling her close to him. She didn't resist and embraced him back. He relished the warm, intimate contact of her body against his.

"Wow," Laurel said, finally breaking off the kiss. "That…that was…" In a moment of boldness, Lance kissed her again, not wanting to end the connection he was feeling with her. After a few more moments, she moved away from him, flushed but with content look on her face.

"Hmmm….I think maybe I am falling for you, Doctor Sweets," she whispered. She then turned the car back on, and Lance took this as his cue to get out.

"You have a good night, Lance," she said as he was getting out. "And I'll be seeing you again soon.

"You have a good night too," he said once he was outside. "I can't wait to see you." He closed the door and waved at her. She gave him one last wave back and drove off.

Intoxicated by bliss, Lance walked up to his apartment, wearing a goofy grin the whole way. Once he was inside, he hung up his coat, and the phone began to ring.

'_It's almost midnight,'_ he thought. _'Who would be calling…?'_

'_Mom, Dad!'_

Lance suddenly remembered that they had planned to call him that night. He had been so caught up in his date with Laurel, he completely forgot about it. He rushed over to the phone, and picked up the receiver.

"Lance, where have you been?" David said over the line. "We tried calling you three times before now. Your mother was beginning to worry."

"Dad, I'm sorry," Lance said. "I'm really, really sorry. I…I just forgot."

"Well don't worry too much about it, sport," David said. "We're not really mad, just concerned is all. Where were you all this time?"

"Well…I…I was on a date," Lance answered sheepishly.

"A date huh?" his father chuckled. "Well that explains a lot. And from the sound of things, it went well. So, who is she? What's she like?"

"Her name is Laurel Durant," Lance said. "She's studying Art at my college. We went out for dinner….Dad, she wants to see me again….And I….I want to see her again too. A lot."

In fact, in that moment, Lance Sweets couldn't think of anything he wanted more.


	57. Year Thirteen, Enchantment part 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. This one will be a little bit more...mature in tone, but don't worry. I'm definitely keeping it at a T rating. ;)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. *sigh*

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch93**: If you're referring to the woman mentioned in TPPitPP, I'm still convinced Sweets was talking about April...But I get the sense that April was not his first girlfriend...or the first time he dated an older woman...Thanks as always for the reviews.

**D:** Being a mid-westerner, I haven't run into that phrase myself, but I've had lots of family members tell me about it. :) And like B3, I can't stop chuckling at the castrati comment. :D As for the age thing...we'll be delving into it further in this chapter...and it may be indirectly problematic if nothing else...While I don't want to spoil the plot, I will say that things will become complicated for them...

**Fearlee**: You might become even more wary of Laurel after this chapter...hard to say...Thanks as always for the reviews. :)

**NotAnInfant:** Haha, yes...but I plan on keeping this at a T rating so there won't be much call for that sound effect here. ;D

**Buttercups3**: Yeah, D's review made me laugh too. And I'm not surprised that you pre-hate her...I figure that I'm going to get a lot of that since I tend to keep all my stories connected to each other...Yes, it has to be strange for Lance to deal with some of the normal teenage stuff while still being able to be addressed as "Doctor Sweets". He's had an interesting life. And I knew that you would appreciate the inclusion of Jonson in that chapter. :)

**xxxMidnightSunxxx**: Yes, hopefully you can still enjoy finding out the whole story even though you know how it ends. Thanks for the review.

**SweetFavoriteThings**: Thank you. :D I'm a little nervous since romance isn't my usual forte, but I hope you'll enjoy watching this relationship run its course.

**DukeFan1982**: No problem, I can relate all too well with the way life and school have been throwing some hurdles my way as well...I think he may have had regrets, but I agree that Lance was better able to move on thanks to that letter from Lillian...And yes, as I was saying earlier, I get the feeling that April was not Sweets' first serious girlfriend. ;)

**Fear Herself**: Well I hope this was soon enough. :D And yes, you will be seeing more of Laurel in this chapter...

Year Thirteen—Enchantment—part 2

Over the next month, Lance tried to spend every spare moment that he could with Laurel. When he wasn't doing his grad work or finishing his dissertation, Lance went with her to coffee shops or to cheap ethnic restaurants for dinners. On days they couldn't get together, they often called each other so that they could catch up on anything they might have missed in each others' lives.

When they had time on the weekends, Laurel often took him to the local museums, and they would spend hours wandering the halls, admiring the artwork. She would tell him about the classic paintings that they saw, compare the newer work to styles from the past, and tell him all about the works of art she hoped to see in her lifetime. Lance loved taking in all the beautiful artwork, and he soaked up every word Laurel told him about her life and her dreams.

Soon their schedules became even more demanding, so they settled for "study dates" in the library where they sat together while they he worked on his dissertation, and she worked on her thesis. The two of them would occasionally look over at each other and smile, and sometimes they would hold hands for a short time while they worked.

Lance found that he even enjoyed these times, working silently side-by-side, quietly supporting each other. Every day he continued to be amazed at how things were unfolding between the two of them.

Especially after that fateful third date when he found out that she was actually twenty-four years old.

* * *

'_Twenty-four,' he had gulped. _

'_Why? Does that make me an old maid?' Laurel laughed._

'_No, no…not at all,' he assured her. 'I guess, I'm just surprised…'_

'_Well not everyone is a super-brain like you,' she teased gently. 'Some of us have had to go through college at the normal rate.'_

'_It's not that,' Lance said. 'It's just…you know…I'm surprised that you want to…I mean that you…'_

'_That I want to go out with you?' Laurel said. Lance hung his head, ashamed that he was acting so needy. He looked back up when she took his hand._

'_Don't be so shocked, Doctor Sweets,' she continued. 'After all, you're just as mature as a lot of the guys I've met around here. If not more so at times. And besides that, you're adorable, kind, and such a good listener. Trust me; women are turned on by that.'_

_She halted any further discussion on the matter by kissing him.

* * *

_

Sitting beside Laurel while the two of them worked, Lance found that he liked her even more simply because she didn't seem to place much importance on his age.

'_She's right. Age doesn't matter,'_ he thought to himself. _'I've had to spend years convincing people of that and now finally someone gets it….Someone who can see me for who I really am.'_

As he further contemplated their budding relationship, Lance discovered that he felt something that he was beginning to believe would always be out of his reach: contentment. It was a contentment that came from having a family who loved him, a vocation that he was passionate about, and someone to share all of this with.

After coming home one night from one of these sessions, his parents called him, and Lance ended up talking to David at length about his growing attachment to Laurel.

"It's almost unreal sometimes, Dad," Lance said. "I mean, she's beautiful, smart, witty, talented…I feel like I won the lottery or something."

"Well that's how it tends to feel when you find someone truly special," David chuckled warmly. "It feels like nothing else on earth."

"The next time you guys come to visit…I'd really like you to meet her," Lance said.

"You're really serious about this woman, aren't you?" his father asked him.

"Yeah, I am," he answered. "Dad…when I'm with her, I feel like I can do anything. I feel like the world is open to me and all I have to do is reach out and take it. I feel…accepted. Like I'm not someone that nobody else wants and not like she's just tolerating me." David's heart ached at the thought that his son still considered himself as a person that no one wanted, but he let the comment slide.

"Sport, I'm thrilled that she makes you happy, but I do have a request for you."

"What's that?"

"Go slow," David cautioned. "I know that's hard to hear when you're young and in love, but you need to listen."

"Did you go slow with Mom?" Lance asked, his defenses starting to rise.

"Yes, I did," David answered calmly. "I may have fallen in love with her almost immediately, but we both took the time to get to know each other before making any sort of commitment. Now, you certainly have that wonderful spark that will push you to learn about her, and that's a good thing. But what I'm wondering is, how much does she know about you?"

"What do you mean?" Lance asked, irritation coloring his voice.

"I mean you've been telling your mother and me a lot about Laurel," David responded. "Just how much is Laurel able to tell her parents?"

"I told you, Dad," Lance sighed. "Laurel doesn't talk to her parents very much. Her mom's kind of neurotic and her dad…"

"That's not what I mean and you know it, Lance," David interrupted him.

"She knows me," Lance insisted. "She knows who I am, and what I'm studying to be. She knows about my favorite books. And about all the schools I went to, along with what I did while I was there. We just…we don't sit around and talk about me, all right? Besides, she doesn't need to deal with…with my past."

David sighed and fell silent. He didn't like the implication that was forming in his mind that this was a one-sided relationship, but he knew that arguing this point would alienate his son.

'_We can be loving and supportive, but we can't give him everything.'_

'_He needs space as well as love.'_

David remembered saying those things to Carolyn on the day that Lance came home with them from the orphanage. Ever since that first night, he tried to do everything he could to spare Lance from having to endure too much more pain from the world. But David knew, from day one, that he would not be able to shield his son from everything that could hurt him, and that there were some things that he had to learn on his own.

In that moment, David Stephen Sweets was forced, once again, into the hardest task he had to do as a father: he let Lance go.

"Ok sport, you're right," he said. "You two should move at your own pace, and it's up to you to reveal things to Laurel in your own time. And you should know that your mother and I are looking forward to meeting her."

"Thanks Dad," Lance said. "I'm sure you're going to like her."

From there the conversation drifted toward topics like school, work and family affairs. After hanging up from Lance, David found that he could not completely get rid of his apprehension, but he worked hard to suppress it.

'_Lance needs to live his own life, and that includes making his own choices in affairs of_ _the heart,_' he thought. _'Besides, who's to say that things won't work out? Lance is a caring, thoughtful person, and this Laurel seems like an intelligent, open-minded woman. I'm sure the two of them could work out any kinks that may come along in their relationship if they're willing to put in the effort.'_

David shook his head; even as he reasoned these thoughts out in his mind, he couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that his son tended to give of himself without restraint or regard for his own well-being. That and the fact that Lance had a sensitive heart and soul, made him worry. He knew that if things went just the wrong way, it could strike a crushing blow to Lance's heart.

David just hoped that his son was as strong as he believed him to be.

* * *

About two weeks later, Laurel invited Lance to spend the night at her place so they could enjoy a long evening of homemade dinner and some foreign films that she had rented.

'_My roommate is going to be gone all weekend,'_ she had told him. _'And we're both caught up on work for a change. So let's have some fun together…just the two of us.'_

Lance eagerly agreed and ended up arriving at her place, flowers in hand, a few minutes early that night.

"Flowers for me? That's so nice," Laurel beamed when she answered the door. He followed her inside. She was wearing a grey cashmere sweater and a pair of jeans. Lance could help but notice how well her outfit showed off her figure.

"Well I thought…you're making dinner and all. And I…" Laurel interrupted him with a kiss.

"They're beautiful," she said as she took the flowers. "I'll put them in a vase real quick and dinner will be ready in a bit."

They sat down to a simple but hearty meal of soup and a roast with vegetables. Halfway through the meal, Laurel brought out a bottle of wine to enjoy with her food and offered Lance some.

"I hope you won't turn me in," she teased. "But you really should try this wine. It goes perfectly with this kind of meal." After pouring a small amount for him into a glass, she smiled at his questioning look.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to get you drunk," she said. "Besides, it's just the two of us here, and it's not like you're going anywhere any time soon."

"Sure…you're right," Lance said, feeling a little foolish for being so uptight. He sipped at the wine and slowly grew accustomed to the slightly bitter, woodsy flavor.

"So…my mom and dad are thinking of visiting soon," Lance said after finishing another bite of food. "And I was thinking that the four of us could have dinner at some point."

"Ah…mom and dad, coming to check up on you?" Laurel asked with a playful smirk.

"No, no. It's not like that," Lance replied, shaking his head. "We just like to spend time with each other. They trust me."

"I'm not surprised that they like to spend time with you," she nodded. "After all, you're a very engaging person, Doctor Sweets. But really, who wants to spend time with their parents?" Lance sat his fork down and stared at her.

"I do," he insisted. "Mom and Dad are wonderful people, and I love them. They….they're the reason that I turned out the way I did: a doctor at age eighteen. I owe them everything."

"It's ok Lance…I'm sorry if I touched a nerve," Laurel said, holding up her hands. "I'm sure that I'll enjoy meeting them."

"No…I'm sorry," he mumbled, averting his eyes. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I wasn't thinking…I mean with the situation with your parents and all…" Laurel reached over and squeezed his hand.

"It's all right. Really," she said. "I guess I'm just not used to a guy being so close to his parents. It's kind of nice, actually."

"Really?" he asked looking up at her.

"Yeah, really," she said. "And I'm not surprised that they're so dynamic…I mean, look at the genes that they gave you."

Lance shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He didn't want to talk about his past, but he wanted to be honest with Laurel, especially since he would be meeting his parents soon.

"Laurel…I need to tell you something before you meet my family," Lance said.

"Sure what is it?" she said, taking another bite of roast.

"My mom and dad…they're my adoptive parents, actually," he said, taking a sip of wine to loosen his throat. "They adopted me when I was six."

"Oh," Laurel said, nodding in understanding. "So…your birth parents….did they pass away?" Lance hesitated; he did not want to go into detail about this. Not tonight.

"No they didn't pass away," he answered. "They just…they aren't involved in my life. Haven't been for years. Being a parent wasn't for them, and Mom and Dad really wanted a kid…so they adopted me."

"That's….that's rough, Lance," Laurel said with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "I'm sorry…But I'm glad you got placed with good people at the very least."

"Thanks for that," Lance said. "I just wanted you to know before you met them because…Well they're a little older than you might expect them to be, and I didn't want you to think that…"

"It's all right. I'm sure they're lovely people," she said. "Don't worry about it." Lance leaned over and kissed her. He was grateful that this moment of tension hadn't led to anything major.

* * *

After finishing their meal, Lance and Laurel settled in on the couch to watch one of the movies Laurel had rented. It was one of those doomed love stories filled with tragedy, contemplation and long stretches of silence that the French were so masterful at making. The two of them held each other while they watched only occasionally commenting on the plot.

Soon they found themselves snuggling closer together and kissing with greater frequency. As the film wound down to its conclusion, they both grew more and more interested in the passionate scene that they were creating on the couch.

"Come on," Laurel whispered in his ear. "Let's go to my room."

Lance swallowed hard; he may have been inexperienced, but he was not naive. He knew where this was going, and he was very nervous about it all. But he was so swept up in his desire for her; he ended up following her to the bedroom without the slightest hesitation.

Once there, Laurel turned out the lights, and pulled Lance over to join her on the bed. The two of them laid there, their kisses and caresses becoming increasingly intense. Finally Laurel sat up and got on top of Lance so she could straddle him, and began to pull off his shirt. Lance gulped and trembled.

"Don't worry, I won't bite…unless you want me to," she giggled.

"It's not that," he gasped. "It's just…it's just that…"

"Doctor Sweets…are you telling me that you're a virgin?" Laurel asked astonishment in her voice. Lance gulped again and felt his cheeks growing hot.

"I…I haven't really had a girlfriend before…Not like you," he managed to stammer out. Laurel sat back on her knees for a moment and nodded. She then pulled off her sweater, and, even in this very faint light, Lance couldn't help but stare at the soft curve of her breasts. She smiled and moved close to him again so that she could continue kissing him.

"Listen…just leave everything to me," she murmured in his ear. "I'll make sure that you enjoy your first time…Just lie back and let me show you."

* * *

Some time later, Lance was lying under the covers while holding Laurel in his arms. The past two hours were awkward at first, but Laurel proved to be a patient and persistent lover. He found himself in ecstasy as he discovered all sorts of sensations and pleasures that he never knew existed.

But just as important to him as all that, Lance felt a new connection with Laurel, an intimacy that he hadn't even realized that he had been craving. Lying there, feeling the warmth of her bare skin against his, letting his fingers dance through her silken hair, Lance was lost in his feelings for her.

"I'll never forget tonight, Lance," Laurel said sleepily. "It was…wonderful."

"I won't forget either," he whispered back. "I…I love you."

"Mmm…you're so sweet," she said as she fell asleep, snuggling closer and laying her head on his shoulder.

Lance was tired from the evening's activities, but he wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as possible. As he finally drifted off to sleep, a single thought repeated itself in his mind.

'_I love her...and if she's in my life…I can finally be happy.'_


	58. Year Thirteen, Enchantment part 3

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, but here is the next chapter. Hopefully it will be worth the wait. :)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. As sad as that may be for me...;)

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It's always appreciated.

**TimeWitch93: **Yes, Sweets does have a tendency to put a lot of himself into his relationships as seen with April and Daisy. I imagine that his first true love was no different...As to what happened...well this chapter starts to explain that.

**D:** Braille sex? I'll leave that for another conversation...;) As we will soon see, there are a variety of things going on that do not bode well for this relationship with Laurel's stint of being unobservant being only one of them...As to how things will play out: hints are given in this chapter not only to what breaks them up but also toward how Sweets was able to move on...I'm just sorry that the "waiting it out" period was so long for this chapter...But thanks again for all the reviews, here and elsewhere. :)

**Sweetfavoritethings: **Thanks for the info from those sides. :) The funny thing is, I was thinking that Sweets was probably not a virgin by the time he met April based on what he said during TMitM and in other episodes, but I did figure that he hadn't done much in the romantic department before getting into a relationship with her...And yes, even though you know what's coming, I hope you can still enjoy seeing how it all plays out...even if it is a little painful.

**Fear Herself:** Ooops sorry about that. ;P Just so you'll know now, there is a little bit more T-rated stuff in the later parts of this chapter, so be aware. Hope you enjoy this chapter anyway. :D

**Lives in the now:** No problem there. This fic is so long, I'm kind of used to reviewers popping in and out every once in a while. ;) And thanks for the review. I'm thinking by the end of this, Sweets will very much resemble the baby duck we all know and love on the show.

**xxxMidnightSunxxx: **Yeah, I can't resist the play on words once in a while. ;P It's the kind of thing I can picture a girlfriend doing out of fun. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes from here. ;)

**Not an Infant:** You're right in thinking that actually. It's one of many warning signs that will present themselves as things move on...

**Fearlee: **Well it's hard to listen to Dad when you're young and in love like Sweets is. ;) And those are warranted bad vibes...Enjoy this update. :D

**Buttercups3: **Yeah, I know it's a bit of cliche, but it's something I can totally see Sweets doing...equating love with sex. Especially at this age...And you're right about how much Lance will probably need David and Carolyn before too long...Haha, that's funny to think about Knox suddenly showing up. :D I don't think Sweets would have been ready for a pet by this point...

**Fatewalker: **You certainly have nailed it...Laurel is definitely wanting different things than what Lance is wanting out of this relationship...And that will cause problems down the road...And trust me, I'm the queen of over-thinking Bones. ;P No problem on the late review though...Sorry about such a late update on my end.

**Abandon-Morality: **Well...things aren't going to go well as will become apparent in this chapter...but it's hard to say if Laurel will be entirely to blame...

**DukeFan1982: **Thanks for the review as always. :D I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Year Thirteen—Enchantment—part 3

Over the next few weeks, Lance fount that he had finally found new things to obsess over besides his dissertation: his parents' impending visit and finding ways to avoid discussing his past, or more specifically his scars, with Laurel.

Lance had always heard that taking your significant other to meet the parents was a huge step in a relationship, and now he was starting to understand why. On the one hand, he was worried about Laurel and her possibly being uncomfortable with the visit. He knew how strained her relations were with her own parents, and Lance hoped that she wouldn't feel out of place when confronted with the close camaraderie that he shared with David and Carolyn. On the other hand, Lance was nervous of what his parents would think of Laurel. Even though his mother and father treated him like and adult and supported his decisions, Lance still cared deeply about how they felt about his choices. He wasn't sure what he would do if they disapproved of Laurel. Even with the passionate feelings he had for her, Lance's parents held a permanent and very prominent place in his heart. He dreaded the possibility that anything could drive a wedge between him and his family. Or, worse yet, that he could have to choose between the woman who had stolen his heart and the people who had devoted themselves to giving him life.

But even those anxieties couldn't hold a candle to Lance's fear of how Laurel would respond if she learned about the marks that were carved into his skin. Marks which were just the surface evidence of a darkness that still lingered in his soul.

During that first night that they spent together, Lance had been surprised that the topic hadn't come up, even in the throes of their love-making. Then again, he had been so wrapped up in his own pleasure and too overwhelmed by his new-found feelings for Laurel to think much about things like that. After he had time to think about it, Lance chalked it up to a combination of wine and passion for the reason why nothing had been said.

But Lance was determined to not take any chances after that.

Whenever the two of them made love, Lance was always careful to insist on going into a darkened bedroom. When they were finished, he was careful to put on a shirt and boxers after she held him for a little while. He flatly refused to undress in front of her or let her see his bare back in the light.

A few times her fingers brushed over the scar tissue on his shoulders and after the first couple of times, she asked him about it.

'_It's nothing.'_ he told her. '_Just something that happened when I was a kid…I don't like to talk about it 'cause it's not one of the better memories from my childhood.'_

'_I suppose it wouldn't be,' _Laurel responded. '_That had to have hurt, whatever it was.'_

At that point, Lance managed to shift the conversation elsewhere, and soon it would stop altogether while they concentrated on other more enjoyable activities.

In the back of his mind, Lance worried some about the fact that he was so reluctant to tell her anything of his horrific past, but he was usually able to find ways to reason his doubts away with relative ease.

'_She doesn't need me dumping all my issues onto her…She has her own problems like her near estrangement from her parents and the pressure she's under to complete her thesis….Besides, that was the past and this is now…And now I want to have a normal life with my work and a woman of my own. There's no need to dwell on something that just makes everyone who's exposed to it miserable.'_

If he were honest with himself, Lance would have to admit that the real driving force behind his reasons for not telling Laurel about his scars and his past was fear: fear of rejection, fear of pity, and fear of her possible revulsion.

But most of all, fear that he could lose the most complete happiness that he had had in years.

'_There will be time enough in the future to tell her about my past,'_ he told himself. '_There's no need to rush into any time soon.'

* * *

_

The weeks flew by and soon David and Carolyn arrived to visit Lance during a short break in his studies. Lance was thrilled that they were coming since he hadn't seen them for months.

When they showed up at his apartment, Lance greeted them at the door.

"It's so good to see you, baby," Carolyn said as she held him. Lance embraced her back.

"Thanks Mom," he said. "I'm really glad you're here."

"You're looking well, sport," David said as Lance moved to embrace him next. David had noted that his son had a tired, but cheerful look in his eyes: a sign of hard work mixed with deep personal satisfaction. Despite his doubts about the relationship, David was pleased to see how happy Lance was.

"Thanks Dad," Lance smiled as finally let his father go.

"So when do we get to meet her?" David asked.

"This evening," Lance answered as he took his parents' coats before sitting between them on the couch. "We're meeting her at her favorite Chinese place close to the college. Trust me, you'll love it there. Laurel took me there a week ago and the food was excellent."

The three of them then spent the next few hours catching up on each other's lives. David and Carolyn were happy to see how animated Lance was while talking about his studies, and how at peace he seemed when talking about his own life and his time with Laurel.

Lance suddenly glanced over at a nearby clock and practically jumped to his feet.

"We should get going," he said. "I promised Laurel that we'd meet her at the restaurant in about an hour, and the traffic is brutal around here at this time of day."

* * *

David, Carolyn, and Lance left the apartment, and thankfully ended up only dealing with minor traffic congestion. They arrived at the restaurant a couple minutes early, and after only a few seconds of waiting, Laurel drove into the parking lot. After parking her car, Laurel strolled over to meet all of them, a warm smile on her face. She stopped to give Lance a quick peck on the cheek before extending her hand out to David and Carolyn.

"Hello. You must be Lance's parents," she said. "I'm Laurel Durant, and I'm so happy to finally meet the two of you. Lance has told me so many wonderful things about you."

David was encouraged by Laurel's congeniality, and he and Carolyn smiled back at her as they shook her hand.

"The pleasure is all ours," David grinned. "And if I may say so, you are every bit as beautiful as my son described….if not even more so." Laurel blushed and wrapped her arms around one of Lance's.

"I can see now how Lance became such a charming gentleman," she said. "But let's go inside now. It's too cold out here, and I'm starving. And just so you'll know, I can guarantee you that the food here is out of this world."

Dinner was a happy affair as Laurel entertained the Sweets with colorful stories of her childhood and discussions about art. To Lance's surprise and relief, David and Carolyn both had some knowledge of a lot of the major painters and art movements throughout history. The Sweets went on to tell Laurel and Lance a few stories about the life the two of them had together; one or two of these stories were ones that even Lance had never heard before.

After dinner, the Sweets and Laurel went back to Lance's apartment for more conversation. Lance couldn't help but be happy over how well his parents and Laurel hit it off. Even when the conversation moved to his childhood, and Carolyn pulled out photos of him as a kid to show Laurel.

"Mom," Lance blushed as Carolyn and Laurel fawned over the pictures.

"Aw but Lance you were so adorable," Laurel giggled as she flipped through the photos.

"Yes," Carolyn smiled gently. "Lance brought us so much joy while he was growing up…and we are so proud of him now."

"That's no shock," Laurel nodded, putting her arm around Lance and leaning against him. "He's an amazing guy."

A couple hours later, David and Carolyn finally stood up to leave.

"We should get going back to the hotel," David said. "It's been a long day traveling for us, and I'm sure the two of you are tired from a hard day of work."

"Ok, Dad, Mom. I'll see you tomorrow," Lance said, getting up to walk them to the door and embracing each of them. Laurel moved to join them and after sharing in the goodbyes, Lance joined her back on the couch.

"Your parents are fascinating people," Laurel said as she held him. "I mean world travel, charity work, driving cross country…they've done it all."

"Yeah…even I didn't know about them sailing along the tropics in a yacht," Lance mused. "They never mentioned having a yacht while I was growing up."

"I'm sure you could spend years listening to their stories and never hear a repeat," she said thoughtfully. Laurel laid her head on his shoulder and held his hand.

"You know…that's what I want," she murmured. "A rich life that I could share with the man I love."

"You'll have that," Lance assured her. "You're a rich person in mind and spirit, and I'm sure that you'll lead the life you want to….And I'll do anything I can to help you live it." Laurel sat up and looked Lance in the eye.

"Lance…your life is going to be about helping people and about finding ways to help solve crimes," she said solemnly. "It's not going to be about living like a bohemian. Anyone can see that you're meant to be part of something special."

"I am part of something special when I'm with you," Lance insisted. Laurel caressed his cheek and started kissing him.

"Let's go to bed," she murmured. "Let's be part of something special tonight."

Lance nodded, and the two of them went to the bedroom to begin yet another night of passion.

* * *

Back at the hotel, David and Carolyn had settled into bed for the night, but both of them were too restless to sleep.

"David?"

"What is it?"

"That girl…I just don't know if she's right for Lance," Carolyn said. David pulled her closer to him.

"I mean, she seems nice and all," she continued. "And I know that she makes Lance very happy. But I…I don't know if she sees this relationship and our son the same way he sees her."

"So beauty, brains, and manners aren't good enough for your baby boy?" David teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"No…I don't want to be one of those mothers who belittle all the women their sons date," Carolyn said, holding David even tighter. "And I love the fact that Lance is getting to enjoy one of the best experiences in life. But…a part of me thinks that Laurel has some more growing up to do…And I don't know if Lance will be able to be a part of that growth."

David sighed and rolled onto his back. Carolyn shifted to rest against his chest.

"I know what you mean," he said. "I saw them together tonight, and it's pleasant. But after thinking about how they are, and listening to what Lance says about the two of them…a part of me thinks that it just isn't going to work."

"What should we do?" Carolyn asked. David shook his head.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do," he answered. "This is something that Lance will have to work out on his own. It's part of growing up. All we can do is continue to love and support him."

"But David…he loves this woman so much," Carolyn said. "And he's just starting out in the world…I don't want him to have to hurt anymore."

"I know," David murmured. "Believe me, I know. But Carolyn, Lance is stronger now than he ever was before. He will get through this…And if he needs our help, I'm confident that he will know to come to us."

Carolyn took David's hand; she knew that it took a lot out of David to let Lance go like that. He always took it badly whenever his son was in pain. But she also knew that David was making the right decision and wanted to support him as best she could so he would be able to remain strong.

"I'm sure you're right," she said gently after kissing him. "Our baby is becoming a man…It's a beautiful thing to watch…even when I miss him so much."

"He will always be with us, Carolyn," he said. "As long as he holds us in his heart, we will never be truly apart. And he will always be our son, no matter where he goes or what he becomes."

* * *

After a couple more days of visiting, David and Carolyn returned home, and Lance and Laurel resumed an even more frenetic pace in their studies.

Another month went by and nowadays, Laurel spent almost every night at Lance's apartment. The two of them discussed moving in together, but Laurel was hesitant to make that sort of move.

'_I have some career and study opportunities up in the air right now,'_ she told him. '_Let's see how they work out before making any sort of long-term plans.'_

A couple weeks after that, Lance was spending a few days at his apartment to finish up some revisions on several sections of his dissertation. One afternoon, there was a knock on his door, and Lance opened it up to find that Laurel had come over unannounced.

"You're never going to believe this," she said, practically bursting into his apartment. "You know that job I was trying to get at that one museum in the suburbs? I got the job! As soon as I finish my masters degree, I'll be starting there as an assistant…But if everything goes well, I could eventually transfer to somewhere huge…Like the Met or something."

"That's wonderful," Lance grinned. Laurel grabbed him for an embrace.

"I just had to tell you right away," Laurel said as she started to kiss him. "This is the most wonderful that's ever happened to me."

"We should celebrate," Lance said in-between kisses. Laurel suddenly reached down and started to undo Lance's belt.

"I want to celebrate here…now," she said, her voice raw with need. "I want you, Lance." She slipped her hands under his shirt as her kisses became more urgent.

At first, he was taken aback by the ferocity of her desire, but soon Lance was unable to think about anything other than the way Laurel was touching him and the warmth of her breath and lips against his body. He had barely made it to the bedroom before he was consumed by her passion into a stretch of fiery lovemaking.

* * *

Almost three hours later, Laurel opened her eyes and sighed in contentment. She turned to her side so that she could watch Lance sleep. A wicked grin formed on her face as she thought about how she tired him out, and she noted how young and vulnerable he looked while asleep.

Usually she was the one to fall asleep first, and by the time she woke up, Lance was dressed and ready to start the day.

'_He's so shy,'_ she giggled to herself. _'It's so cute somehow.'_

But now that she had the chance, Laurel longed to explore his body in the light. She carefully pulled the blanket toward her, revealing his torso. Still mostly asleep, Lance instinctively moved closer to Laurel's warmth. She kissed him softly, and ran her hands along his chest. Lance then moaned and turned over to his side, turning his back toward her. Laurel gasped at what she saw.

She had felt the scar tissue along his shoulders before, and had even seen faint traces of it in the dark. But in this moment, Laurel realized that she hadn't really seen anything at all. Not anything like she was seeing now.

'_It's nothing…Just something from childhood.'_

Lance's dismissal of his scars kept playing in Laurel's head over and over again while the hand covering her mouth shook.

'_That….that's not nothing…Not a childhood accident or anything like that,'_ she thought. '_Somebody whipped him or something…What kind of a twisted childhood did he have?'_

"Oh my God," she finally choked out. The sound of Laurel's voice woke Lance up, and he turned toward her, rubbing his eyes.

"Laurel, what is it?" he said still drowsy. "What is…?"

Lance stopped; realization hitting him like a blow to the stomach.

'_She saw them…my scars…'_

Lance frantically pulled at the sheets in an attempt to cover up.

"Laurel…I…"

"No," she spat at him, sitting up and covering herself with the bed sheet, her eyes filled with anger, sadness, and disgust.

"No…you tell me the truth, _Doctor_ Sweets….How did you get those scars on your back? And don't you dare try holding anything back…"


	59. Year Thirteen, Enchantment part 4

Author's Note: I know it's been a while, but here's the next chapter. Again, mind the T rating.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you as always to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**D: **Sadly, people like Laurel do not always know how to separate the act from the victim...I agree that there is a definite pattern in how Sweets picks his relationships, and I had a feeling that it started somewhere...like here...And this desire to "replace" someone like Laurel does seem to be plaguing Sweets to this day...

**Abandon-Morality: **Sorry no, I did not want to make a martyr out of her. So she will just drift out of Sweets' life from here...

**TimeWitch93: **I hadn't thought about having Laurel ever returning, but now that you mention it, it does seem like an intriguing idea. I'll let you know if anything happens there. Thanks for the review.

**Fatewalker: **Thank you. I did not want to make Laurel straightforward bad or good thus the ambiguity. Sweets is within months of graduating again. And yes, RL makes fic writing hard sometimes, but I'm hoping to be in more of a groove this month...

**Fearlee: **And you're right in sensing it...

**Buttercups3: **And yet it's amazing how insensitive some people can be toward those with a difficult background...And yes, Carolyn and David are solidly upper middle class, but the yacht was one that David helped to build (it was sold in Year One to help pay for Sweets' education)...As to what Laurel's issues are...that's going to be left to the imagination a bit, even though I did hint at it a bit.

**Sweetfavoritethings:** Again, thanks. As I mentioned, I did not want to make Laurel pure evil...Just not right for Sweets...

**xxxMidnightSunxxx:** This update will reveal the answer to that question...

**Peanutmeg: **Oh I can relate to that. I'm really too busy today myself...Thanks for reviewing...

**Dukefan1982: **Sadly, Laurel has a lot of growing up to do, much like Carolyn predicted...Thanks for reviewing...

**iEaTNekkozzz:** Yes, Sweets has run into some very evil people during his childhood...I think it's what gives him such a radar for evil now...

Year Thirteen—Enchantment—part 4

Lance trembled as he confronted Laurel's angry, confused, and hurt expression. He felt like he did owe her some kind of explanation, but when he opened his mouth to speak, the words got caught in his throat.

"Laurel…please…" he choked out, reaching over to her. He was desperate to hold her, longing for the reassurance he needed to deal with the rush of emotions he felt whenever he had to face the darkest corners of his past. But Laurel moved away from him.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth, Lance?" she said, her voice venomous. "I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you. I do," Lance insisted, his eyes brimming with tears. "I love you…But I didn't lie…I…it's just…."

"Just what?" Laurel asked, inching a little farther away from him.

"It's just…hard," he answered. "Hard for me to talk about…I was going to tell you everything eventually. But I….I didn't want you to have to think about it."

"Think about what?" she demanded. "Think about how those people you call Mom and Dad are really closet psychos? And here I believed you when you kept going on and on about how wonderful they are."

Laurel got out of bed and immediately started dressing. Lance jumped up and yanked on a shirt and a pair of boxers before walking over to her.

"Mom and Dad didn't do that to me," Lance said, struggling to keep his feelings in check. "Andrew…my biological father…it was him." Laurel looked at him for a moment, but then finished dressing and marched out to the front room. Lance followed her.

"So…that's why you don't live with your birth parents?" Laurel said, refusing to face him. "Because they whipped you?"

"Yes," Lance said shakily. "Mom and Dad brought me into their lives when I was six…They adopted me a year after that. I've been with them ever since."

"Why?" she asked. "Why did your father hit you like that? Was he crazy, drunk…what happened there?"

Lance sank into a chair. He hadn't spoken about the night Andrew whipped him since that session with his therapist and his father back when he was twelve years old. And he knew that he could not go through that again…not right now.

"I…can't," he said, a couple of tears finally wobbling out of his eyes. "Please, Laurel…I can't talk about it right now…Please, just let me…."

"What? Why can't you talk about it with me?" Laurel said. "Did something else happen? Did he….?"

She stopped short and put a hand over her mouth again.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "He…you were….I think I'm going to be sick." Lance rushed over and took Laurel by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry that all this came out this way," he said. "I wanted to tell you. I really did…But I…I was scared. But you should know that this changes nothing between us. I love you, and I want…no I need to be with you."

Lance wrapped his arms around her and to his dismay; Laurel did not return the embrace. After a minute though, she did place her arms around his waist, but she refused to hold him close.

"Lance I just don't know," she murmured. "I don't know if I can handle all this."

"You don't have to," he said. "I'm learning to deal with it…It's not always easy, but…I'm getting there. All I need from you is the love we have now."

"But…it's still a part of you, isn't it?" Laurel asked. "It's why you can't talk about it."

Lance hung his head even as he held her. Even though he knew the answer to that in his heart, there was no way he could share it.

"I need to go," she said, pushing away from him. She walked over to slip her shoes and coat on, but as she walked toward the door, Lance grabbed her arm.

"Wait…please don't go," he begged. "Please."

"Listen, I can't stay here," Laurel said as she shrugged him off. "I need time…To think about all this. I'll…I'll talk to you later."

She rushed out the door, leaving Lance standing there in his front room. He stumbled over to the couch and plopped down. He didn't move for a long while.

'_Why? Why couldn't I tell her?'_ he asked himself. '_I love her…Shouldn't I be able to tell her everything?'_

Tears dribbled down his cheeks and he didn't bother to wipe them away.

'_Why can't I do this right? Why do I always bring pain to the people I love?'_

Lance collapsed onto his side and began to weep. He ended up staying that way for hours.

* * *

The next day, Lance called the university and let them know that he wouldn't be in that day due to illness. He then began calling Laurel, leaving her numerous messages. At one point, he left the house and searched for her. He went to all the places they liked to hang out and even dropped by her apartment. But her roommate claimed that she hadn't seen Laurel all day. He then went home and thought about what he could do next.

Lance wanted desperately to talk to Laurel, to find some way to explain things to her and to convey the depths of his feelings for her.

Finally by late afternoon, Lance had fallen back asleep. He soon woke back up to the sound of Laurel leaving him a message to meet her at the café where they met. He dashed out of his apartment, and when he arrived, Lance found her sitting alone at a back table. She looked up and gave him a slight smile as he slid into the chair across from her.

"Laurel," he said, hesitantly "Look I know I kind of fell apart yesterday, but I'd like a chance to…"

Laurel held up a hand to stop him. There was a long pause while he waited for her to speak. Finally she took his hand and stared into his eyes, her gaze somber.

"Lance…you're a really great guy," she said. "Smart, kind…you've got all the potential in the world. The way you're trying to move on from your past….I'm sure that you'll be able to accomplish anything that you put your mind to. And what we shared…I'll never forget it."

Lance grew tense, not caring for the direction the conversation was taking.

"But with me finishing up my thesis and getting this job offer and you completing your next doctorate…I think it's time for us to move on to the next stage of our lives," she added.

"Laurel, please…I want to be a part of whatever your life is going to be," he said. "There's plenty of time for me to…."

"I'm sorry, Lance," Laurel said, backing her chair away from him. "I…I can't handle the things in your world…especially right now. I can't be the one to help you through your issues…It's too much."

"Laurel, wait," Lance said, grabbing her hand. "I know that you are going through a lot right now, and I want to help. And…you don't have to be drawn into my problems. I'll deal with them on my own. I promise."

"But that's not how it would be…and you know it," she replied. "If I stayed with you, I'd still get drawn into that darkness, even if you say that you'd leave me out of it. You wouldn't be able to help yourself…You probably draw in everyone you're close to…But I can't handle that, not when I'm just getting started with life."

Laurel rose to her feet and gave him a sad smile.

"Goodbye Doctor Sweets…I'll never forget you," she said. She then bent down and gave him a chaste kiss to the lips.

"Goodbye," Laurel said hurriedly as she walked out of the café and Lance's life for good.

Lance sat there for several moments, trying to sort through what had just happened. At first he was numb, but that numbness was soon replaced with sorrow and anger…anger at himself and at the world.

'_I should have known…I should have known that it wouldn't last,' _he told himself. '_Who was I kidding? No woman is ever going to want me…I'm too damaged…too awkward…too weird…No one would want to be around someone like that.'_

'…_I'd still get drawn into that darkness…you probably draw in everyone you're close to…'_

Laurel's words kept playing in an endless loop in his brain, making a chill seep into his soul.

'_Is that what I do? Pull people into my darkness? Pull them into my pain? Is that what I was doing to Laurel? Is it….is that what I did to my parents?'_

"Did you need something, hon?" a waitress asked as she walked over to Lance's table. Startled by her sudden appearance, Lance jumped up and bolted out the door. Once he reached the streets, he walked faster and faster.

'_Andrew…I'm never going to escape him, even if I try to move on…even if I shut him out of my head….I'll never have a normal life….not with friends who I could be close to…never with a woman I could love…'_

By this point, he was starting to run along the pavement. He didn't care who was watching him; he just wanted to outrun the turmoil in his soul.

'_I can't…I can't draw Mom and Dad into this…I have to handle it on my own…I can't pull them into my darkness anymore.'

* * *

_

Over the next week, Lance became little more than a zombie drifting through life. He slept and ate very little. Both activities became distasteful to him because every meal reminded him of evenings he spent with Laurel at her favorite restaurants and every time he went to bed, Lance remembered the wonderful, intimate nights he had shared with her.

Instead he threw himself into his work. His schedule became even more grueling than ever before. He had been making good progress on his dissertation, but now he approached it with even greater urgency than before. Exploring every nuance of his research became a way to avoid almost every other thought.

His parents had called him a couple of times, and Lance knew that they could sense that something was wrong. But he continued to avoid them, letting them leave answers on his machine and leaving messages on theirs so that they would know that nothing had happened to him. He soon felt guilty for treating them this way, but found that he couldn't stop pulling away from them.

The week after that only brought more of the same, but as time went on, Lance realized that he was no closer to filling the hole inside him.

By the weekend, he found himself sitting in his apartment alone on a Friday night with nothing to do. As he ran through his options, it occurred to him that he had met and exceeded his graduate duties and the progress he needed to make on his dissertation. He stared at the walls, his mind still searching for something to do.

'_I can't stay here…I can't…I have to go somewhere…'_

As if on instinct, Lance got up and went to his bedroom closet. There at the back was some of the clothes he used to wear when he was more into the death metal scene. He stripped his current outfit off and got into an all black outfit, amazed that it all still fit. Inspired, he dug about in a couple of boxes that he hadn't bothered to unpack and found some makeup and some black fingernail polish. Within a few minutes he had completely transformed from a staunchly preppy graduate student to a dark soldier of the night.

Lance went to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror; he eventually reached out a finger and poked at the reflection. He wasn't sure of what he was seeing, but it felt…right somehow.

'_Maybe this is who I really am…Maybe I'm just kidding into thinking that there's any other way for me…This…this is where I came from…And it's probably where I'll always stay…'_

Lance grabbed a thick jacket and left his place. A couple months ago, one of his fellow students had told him about this underground club where he could check out the latest death metal and death core bands. He assured Lance that if he just dropped his name that he'd be allowed in.

Tonight Lance decided to take his classmate up on that offer.

* * *

The club turned out to be a seedy basement in an abandoned warehouse. There was a huge man guarding the entrance, but just as promised, when Lance mentioned the student's name, the man moved aside and let him go in.

The moment Lance walked in, his was struck by a wall of noise, music and angst. He weaved his way through the crowd of people, all of whom were fixated on the band playing. He eventually found a corner where he was out of the flow of human traffic and stood there silent. Lance closed his eyes, soaking in every part of what he was hearing and feeling. He let his body move however it wanted, letting himself get lost in the experience.

He was so caught up in the music that he didn't even notice it at first when he bumped into a woman in the crowd. Lance started to apologize and looked her over. She couldn't have been more than twenty. Her jet-black hair had a glossy sheen in the light and black lips parted into a smile.

She pulled him to the side and leaned over so she could talk in his ear.

"Hey…I like your eyes," she said. "Let's go somewhere a little more private."

Lance was about to respond when the woman suddenly lunged over and kissed him. At first he had been shocked by it, but then he let himself enjoy it and even joined in. But just as quickly, something inside him was jolted, and Lance broke the kiss off, stepping back slightly.

"I…I…" he stammered. The woman appeared disappointed for a moment, but swiftly regained her grin.

"I get it. Not tonight," she yelled into his ear. "But listen, if you change your mind, I'll be here tomorrow night…If you come, I'll find you."

She gave him one last quick kiss and then walked off, disappearing into the crowd. Lance watched her go, hypnotized.

'_Why did I do that? I don't even know her…'_

'_But it did feel….good.'_

Unwilling to face this internal conflict any more that night, Lance moved back to where he was before, plunging back into his own black introspection.

A couple hours later he made his way back to his apartment and collapsed into his bed, not even bothering to change clothes. He fell into a thankfully dreamless slumber.

* * *

The next morning, Lance dragged himself from bed and began the daily activities. Once again, however, Lance soon found himself running out of things to do and was left with sitting around and contemplating his situation.

He still was longing for Laurel. No matter how deeply he buried himself into his work or how he pushed himself, Lance's thoughts would eventually go back to her. His stomach became a sour pit as he continued to over his memories of her.

'_What is the point of this? She's not coming back….She never will…I should just accept it and….'_

Lance knew that the logical thing to put at the end of that thought was to "move on.", but he could not bring himself to reach that conclusion.

Suddenly the phone rang, and Lance knew that it was his parents again. They had been calling for the past two days, leaving even more messages. He stared at the phone, but could not answer it.

Soon the machine beeped, and Lance heard his mother leave another message.

"Lance? Are you there?" Carolyn said. "I know you are very busy with your studies, but please call us when you can. Your father and I just want to talk to you and see how you are…We hope to hear from you soon. Take care of yourself. We love you, baby. Always. Goodbye."

There was a click as she hung up, and Lance walked over to the phone. His hand hovered over the cradle, tempted to pick it up. But then he stepped away and went to his room to change.

Lance decided to go out again tonight…and take whatever pleasure he could find.

* * *

A couple hours later, Lance had arrived back at the club. This time the doorman moved as he saw Lance coming. Once inside, Lance searched around for the woman he had seen last night. He was just about to give up, when he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He whirled around to see the woman smiling at him.

"You came," she said over the din of the music. "Let's go."

Lance let her lead him to a side room where a couple of couches were sitting. She plopped down and a large overstuffed specimen and beckoned him over.

"I'm….I am," he started as he sat next to her. She put a finger to his lips, stopping him.

"Shhh, I don't need to know you, and you don't need to know me," she said. "Let's just enjoy this moment since there's so little to enjoy in life before we are all consumed by death."

She kissed him again, and Lance eagerly took her into his arms. As they ran their hands along each others' bodies, Lance felt something stirring inside him.

'_She's right…Who cares about any of that other stuff? It just leads to more pain….Why shouldn't I just enjoy myself tonight? I'm just satisfying a need…So is she….'_

He fell back onto his back, and felt her undo his belt. He held her even tighter as her touches became more intimate. He began to tell himself that this is what he had been wanting for these past two weeks, and he knew that that was not really a lie. His eyes glazed over with desire.

'_I don't need Laurel…Not for this…And this is all that matters…'

* * *

_

A short time later, Lance was alone again. The moment he had shared had been brief but passionate. But as soon as it was over, the woman was ready to leave.

'_This was fun…but let's not complicate it with any sort of attachments,' _she had told him. She left immediately afterward. Within moments, Lance left the club in a daze.

The cold night air stung at his face while he walked home, but he didn't notice it as he mulled over the evening's events.

'_What's wrong with me? I had fun…So why do I feel this way? It's not like she was promising me anything more than what I got….And I can always find someone else.'_

But as he walked into his apartment, Lance could not shake how empty and alone he felt.

He went to the kitchen and found a bottle of wine that Laurel had left. It had been her favorite wine and she was saving it for a special occasion. Lance picked it up and opened it. He then sat down on the couch and began to drink. It was bitter at first, but once he started, he didn't want to stop drinking. He was willing to do whatever it took to numb himself against his feelings.

After drinking for a while, Lance staggered into his bedroom. He knew he was drunk, and was sure that he'd have a hangover tomorrow. But he didn't really care about that at the moment. Instead he laid down and waited to fall asleep. It was not long in coming.

* * *

He woke up the next day, nauseous and his head hurting. Lance got up and spent hours vomiting and resting on the floor next to the toilet. Only then did he feel like getting up and doing anything. He decided to take a shower and brush his teeth so he could clean up. As he finished, he looked at himself in the mirror again and his reflection showed just how much these past weeks had taken a toll on him.

He had become even paler than normal, and his eyes and cheeks looked slightly sunken. Dark circles were prominent and only highlighted how bloodshot his eyes were. But beyond the surface, Lance could see how dim the light behind his eyes had become. It was then that he knew that he was killing himself, slow but sure, with the way he was living his life these days.

'_I'll burn out one of these days…but maybe that's just meant to be…Maybe I was meant to have just a short blip of a life.'_

But even as he though those words, Lance felt another voice speak up inside him. It wasn't his own, and for once, it wasn't Andrew.

It was the voices of David and Carolyn.

'_You are Lance David Sweets, our son. And nothing will ever change that.'_

'_No matter what happens you are still a kind, intelligent, handsome young man and you deserve happiness.'_

'_Most of all, remember that this world is a better place with you in it. No matter how dark it becomes, you will always bring some light into it.'_

Lance backed away from the mirror, unable to look at himself any more. He quickly got dressed and paced around the apartment.

'_What am I doing? What am I doing to myself?'_

'_I can't go on this way.'_

Lance marched over to the phone and picked it up. He dialed a number and as he listened to the rings, tears slid out of his eyes.

"Hello?"

"Dad."

"Sport! Where have you been? Are you all right?" The sound of David's voice made it so that Lance was no longer able to hold back the torrent inside him.

"Dad," he sobbed over the line. "I want to come home."


	60. Year Thirteen, Enchantment part 5

Author's Note: Next chapter. For those that are curious, after finishing up this section in the chapter after this one, I will be doing a section for each year from this point on until Sweets is twenty-two (the age he was by the time he appeared on Bones), but most of the sections will be shorter than this one...with the exception of, Year Seventeen, which will the be last section of this fic.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you as always to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It's always appreciated.

**TimeWitch93: **I often think back to a conversation Sweets had with Angela in The Skull in the Sculpture where he mentions that he's "not as innocent as you might think." My thought is that Sweets flirted with things like this, but they didn't take because it's just not who he is. But he does have a tendency to act out somewhat when he's hurt, thus why he does the things he does at times...Something like this would certainly push him to that edge...

**Lives in the now: **I think that is something that is easy for people to forget by the time Sweets gets to this age and beyond: he is still a kid even if he is a genius. I sometimes think that Booth isn't always just picking on Sweets when he points that out, but is reminding him and the people around him like the Jeffersonian gang that he's is still growing as a person and thus is bound to not always know what to do. So yeah, it makes sense that he would need his parents at this point...and as seen on the show, he knows to turn to B&B along with the others for this sort of guidance.

**Sweetfavoritethings: **It's amazing how some people can wound so deeply and maybe not even realize it, much like Laurel did here...I think the whole "death metal" side of Sweets sort of represents that dark past that he can't really get rid of. But then again, that side of him is not necessarily a bad thing...Just something that has to be kept in check...

**xxxMidnightSunxxx: **I'll admit that was sort of the image I had in my mind. The contrast being that Sweets asked for help as opposed to his parents offering it first...

**Fatewalker: **Thanks for the review. :D I suspect that Laurel has issues that she just can't face and in the back of her mind, she knew that it wouldn't work between her and Sweets. Was the scars the excuse she was looking for? I'm not sure about that...But it took her outside of her comfort zone, for sure, and she is not ready for that by a long shot...It's good to be back , let me tell you. ;)

**Fearlee: **It's an interesting idea actually, and one that could be applied to Sweets' childhood as a whole. Interestingly enough, it's moments like the one at the end that show how far Sweets has come...

**Buttercups3: **Exactly! :) I've noticed that Sweets is so reluctant to talk about himself and his past, and I've often thought that there was a reason about it beyond just maintaining a clinical presence. It's a little sad to think about the scene you mentioned because if there was ever a moment where Brennan and Booth were trying to let Sweets know that he belonged, it was that one (Brennan telling him that she "still hates psychology" even as she tells him this personal and painful story about her past is still one of my favorite moments between the two of them). I often think that it's only going to be through continued reassurance that B&B are ever going to get Sweets to open up more...Haha, yeah I did think that was a cool coincidence myself about our versions of Sweets. ;)

**Abandon-Morality: **Oh, I think the mental illness Andrew had was always there...he just didn't get a chance to destroy Sweets back then because he was taken away from him. And then David made sure that Andrew didn't get the opportunity for a long time after that...It's part of the reason why Andrew is so bold by TMotS, he doesn't have David to worry about...which is a mistake considering that Booth is around...

**Dukefan1982: **Thanks for the review...People like Laurel have problems looking outside their own world, which unfortunately led to heartache here...Fortunately David and Carolyn know and love their son...

**D:** I agree that it may have well been unintentional, but Laurel definitely set Sweets up for a pattern that has persisted through life...not a very good pattern either. And I agree that it will take people like Booth (and perhaps the assistance of the rest of the Jeffersonian gang) to help Sweets develop better self-esteem so he can break out of certain habit of behavior. I think that he's become much more comfortable around his "family" in the last season or so, but he hasn't quite made it past all the damage Andrew inflicted...

Year Thirteen—Enchantment—Part 5

The next day Lance went to his graduate advisor and told him that he needed some time off. He carefully avoided most of the details, mainly emphasizing that it was a "family matter" that needed attending to. But as it turned out, his advisor was very much for the idea of him taking time off.

"Doctor Sweets, you have been working almost non-stop for months now, and from what I've seen, your dissertation is nearly complete," his advisor commented. "Go ahead and take some time off before you burn yourself out. You probably need it. Everything will still be here for you when you come back."

Lance thanked him and quickly left, not wanting to get into just how much he really did need this time to go back home.

After taking care of his apartment and packing a few things, Lance headed off to the airport to buy a ticket home with the money David had wired him earlier in the day. When it was all said and done, Lance ended up taking the red-eye flight back to his home state and didn't show up until morning.

Once he got off the plane and got through airport security, Lance wandered around the terminal and soon found his parents waiting for him.

* * *

David had acted quickly after receiving that anguished phone call from Lance. He woke up Carolyn and told her what happened, and the next morning he wired Lance plenty of money to buy the first ticket that could get him home. Carolyn spent the day fixing up Lance's old bedroom, which still had some of his belongings in it, and buying groceries so that there would be plenty for him to eat.

Both of them were unsure of what to expect when their son came home, but they wanted to be ready to nurture him in any way that they could.

When David and Carolyn saw Lance walking toward them at the airport, they knew that their son was hurting. They could see it in his haunted, dim eyes, his too-thin frame, and his flat expression. He didn't say a word as he walked up to them, but Carolyn couldn't stop herself from rushing over and embracing him tightly. Lance dropped his bag and clung to her. Then David made his way over, and when he reached them, Lance moved to embrace his father next. After a quiet moment of support and reassurance, he let Lance go and picked up his bag.

"Come on, sport," David said. "We have your room ready for you, and your mother is making Chinese for dinner tonight."

* * *

The drive back home was a silent one with Lance staring out the window the entire time. His reluctance to speak was worrying Carolyn further about his state of mind.

'_It has to be about Laurel,' _she thought. '_It has to be….What did she say to him? What did she do to our baby?'_

As she pondered these questions, Carolyn found that she was growing angry, but managed to keep it completely in check.

'_Why did she have to hurt him this way? If she didn't want to be with our son, she could have just broken it to him gently. Explained to him why it wasn't going to work out. Lance would have understood I'm sure. Instead she does something that crushes him.'_

David has also noticed Lance's severely subdued mood and was grappling with concerns of his own.

'_I'm sure that all this has something to do with Laurel. Something happened there….Something that probably spelled the end of their relationship. But…there's more to it than that.'_

David sighed inwardly; he had meant it when he said that he thought that Lance was stronger now than he had ever been. He was convinced that a simple break up over incompatibility or because of a conflict with work or studies would not lead to a reaction like this from Lance.

The one thing he was sure of was the fact that it would be up to Lance to decided when he was going to open up about whatever it was that was eating away at him.

When they arrived home, Carolyn went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, and Lance immediately took his bag upstairs to his room. When he didn't come back down after a while, David went up to check on him. He found that Lance had unpacked and was now sitting on his bed, staring at the walls.

"Lance," he said, walking over to the bed. "If you need anything…you know that you can come to us."

Lance nodded, and David could see the barely concealed tears in his eyes.

"Dad."

"What is it?"

"I'm tired," Lance mumbled. "I'm so…tired."

"I understand, sport," David replied. He moved closer and guided Lance to lie down. He went to the closet and got out a quilt which he used to tuck his son into the bed.

"Sleep now," he murmured as he finished tucking him in. "I'll stay here with you, and I'll wake you up when it's time to eat."

David pulled up a chair and settled in beside the bed.

"Dad…thank you…for all this," Lance whispered. "I…I love you."

Lance closed his eyes, sleep coming to him rapidly due to his exhaustion. David reached over and tousled his hair.

"And I love you, sport," he whispered back. "Forever and ever."

* * *

A couple hours later, Carolyn came up to Lance's room to announce that dinner was ready, and so David shook Lance's shoulder a little to rouse him. He immediately woke up, but was very groggy as he followed his parents down to the dining room.

Carolyn had made many of Lance's favorite dishes, and Lance tried to eat as much as he could, knowing that he really needed to eat. His parents dominated the conversation at first as they caught him up on their lives and on the affairs of other family members and friends. When they tried to coax anything out of their son, it became more problematic. Eventually they were able to get him talking about his dissertation and about some stories related to the classes he was involved in, but Lance would not talk about anything beyond that.

Still, David and Carolyn knew that it did no good to push Lance into talking and were instead grateful that he was eating, resting and reaching out to them as opposed to running away while in the grip of depression.

After dinner the three of them moved to the family room and decided to watch a movie together to further unwind. Lance sat between his parents and they enjoyed each other's company silently as they watched the film. When it was over, David and Carolyn tried talking with him again.

"It's so good to have you home, baby," Carolyn smiled. "You always bring so much more to our world when you're here with us."

Much to his parents' surprise, Lance started violently at her words.

'_You probably draw in everyone you're close to.'_

Laurel's words started to run through his mind yet again, and Lance began to tremble.

'_I don't want to bring darkness into Mom and Dad's lives,' _he thought. '_They're such loving people…They don't deserve that…Not after everything they've done for me.'_

"Lance, what is it?" Carolyn said, holding her son's hand tight.

'_I should go…I shouldn't be here…This was a mistake.'_

"Sport? Please talk to us," David implored him. He put his arm around Lance and held him close. Tears glistened as they finally rolled down Lance's cheeks.

'_No I can't run away…That's what I did before….I can't do that to my parents anymore…I can't do it to…to me.'_

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry," Lance cried. He hung his head down and Carolyn scooted over so that she could hold him as well.

"Why are you sorry, baby?" she asked.

"I should have listened to you," Lance choked. "I should have listened to you and Dad. Laurel…she left me."

"I'm sorry, sport," David soothed. "I know that…."

"No, you don't know," Lance spat, lifting his head. "You don't. She dumped me, Dad. And you want to know why she did that? Because she saw the scars on my back and figured out that I'm a damaged person."

Ashamed of how he snapped at his father, Lance looked back down and put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he wept. "I didn't mean to…."

"No Lance, we're sorry," David interrupted. "We're sorry if it seemed like we were trying to tell you that we know what you're going through because we don't. We have no idea what it's like for you….And we're sorry that that had to happen to you at all. It shouldn't have. Your mother and I wish we could take this pain from you."

"You're not damaged, baby," Carolyn insisted. "You're special…Precious. If she had taken the time to know you, she would have seen that."

"All she could see were my scars," Lance blubbered. "My scars and what they mean. That's all anyone sees when they look at them. They see how ugly and twisted I am."

"Lance, that is not true, and you know it," David said firmly.

"You're not ugly," Carolyn said, placing a hand on Lance's cheek. "Not in any way. You're a handsome , young man…You're a doctor who wants to help people…You're caring, loyal, and intelligent. Those scars….they just show how beautiful you really are."

"What?" Lance asked, incredulous.

"Your mother is saying that despite the outward evidence of the horrors you've been through, you are still a loving, wonderful person," David responded. "Your scars are a testament to your strength of character and soul because you did not succumb to the evil that inflicted them onto you."

Lance sat silently while his parents continued to hold him, trying to absorb what they said. His tears slowly wound down, and David got up at one point to fetch him some tissues and a glass of water, both of which Lance accepted eagerly.

"Thank you," he sniffed after taking a long drink. "But I…I guess I must not be that strong after all."

"Why would you say that?" David asked.

"Well…all this happened, and I wasn't able to handle it on my own," Lance replied. "I tried to…Laurel…she left me a little over two weeks ago, and I tried to deal by myself. But no matter what I did…I just couldn't do it. And if anything, I was slowly killing myself in the process."

Lance used a couple of the tissues and finished the rest of the water before continuing.

"I mean, how strong can I be if I can't handle something as mundane as a woman leaving me?" Lance asked. "I've spent years now being trained in the field of psychology, and I can't solve a problem like this myself. Instead I have to run home to my parents. How in the world am I going to be able to help other people?"

David nodded and sat back against the couch with a thoughtful expression. Meanwhile Carolyn held Lance close to her again, giving him a kiss to the temple before letting him go. After another moment of contemplation, David sat back up and clasped Lance's shoulder so that he would look at him.

"Sport, I won't pretend to completely understand the work that you are going into," his father said. "You know better than us about the kinds of challenges that await you….But I what I do know about is you, having raised you and watched you grow for over twelve years now."

David leaned closer to look Lance in the eye, and Lance almost flinched at the intensity in his father's eyes, but he did not look away.

"I can tell you that the Lance Sweets of ten or even five years ago would not have known what he was doing to himself the way you did a couple of days ago," David continued. "He would have tried to run…tried to bury himself…tried to hurt himself. Carolyn and I would have been able to reach him eventually, but only after he put himself through hell."

"I came close," Lance murmured. "I…I felt myself being sucked into the darkness again. I started doing things…Things that I knew that I shouldn't do…."

"But the key is that you knew that it had to stop," David countered. "You figured out on your own that you could not carry on the way you were. You had the insight and courage to admit that you needed help, and you asked for it."

David rubbed Lance's shoulders gently.

"You're not weak because you asked for help," he added. "Not for something like this which would be difficult for anyone. You're strong enough now to know when to ask for it. And just like how you reached out to us, others will reach out to you. You will be able to help them because you're a smart, generous person, who understands what it means to experience true grief and pain."

His father pulled him in for another embrace, and Lance was overwhelmed with how comforting it was.

"You will find a way to help those who come to you," David said. "I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Dad," Lance whispered as David let him go. "And you thank you too, Mom."

"You're welcome, baby," Carolyn grinned, thrilled to see the light returning to her son's eyes.

"Sport, I'm guessing that there's something else that's on your mind," David frowned.

"Dad…I…I can't…."

"Then don't worry about it right now," David told him. "For now, I just want you to spend some time resting and thinking about what we've told you. When you're ready, we can talk about the rest of it."

Lance was instantly relieved; it had been emotionally draining to talk about as much as he did, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to rest his body and mind.

"Thanks Dad…I'd like to rest for a while. I really would."


	61. Year Thirteen, Enchantment part 6

Author's Note: Sorry to have neglected this one for so long. I hope to start the next section within a couple days or so, but I can't guarantee anything...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Lives in the now: **If you think about it, everything Sweets is able to accomplish by the time Booth and Brennan meet him is pretty amazing, and must have taken a great deal of hard work and sacrifice. And I agree that Sweets probably learned a lot from some wonderful role models like how I imagine the Sweets...

**Dukefan1982: **Thanks for the review. I actually picture the rest of this fic being either reflective or melancholic when I think about what is coming...

**Fatewalker: **I think that is part of Sweets' genius: that he is so self-aware and can really get inside the human condition...even his own. I imagine that it's how he is able to find his way in his therapy work despite being so young.

**TimeWitch93: **I'll admit to being very wary of Daisy at this point. I think she could have potential, but I haven't seen it yet this season...at least not enough to make up for the finale of last season...But still, I think she had more compassion than someone like Laurel who lives her life in a rather selfish way at this point...Thanks again for the review.

**D: **Well that's fine by me since I always enjoy your insightful and/or amusing reviews. :) But yes, I do see Laurel as a sort of prototype for the type of woman Sweets keeps ending up with. Granted, I think April and Daisy are not quite on Laurel's level of immaturity, but I often believe that Sweets is looking for someone who he perceives as "better" than him somehow or who "needs" him in some way. I'm with you in hoping that his current "family" will eventually show him that being loved and accepted is far better than being "needed" by a "better"...

**Peanutmeg: **Thanks as always for the review. I hope you enjoy this update as well. :D

**Buttercups3: **Yes, you know that I'm with you in thinking that Sweets is nothing like Screech...Sam Weir maybe but not Screech. ;) Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoy both the fluffy tone and how I tried to balance Sweets still struggling with the normal issues for people his age along with his growth into a more mature person. I think you will find that this chapter further moves this idea along...

**Fearlee: **Oh no problem on the later review. Things happen. I know all about that as evidenced by how I sometimes take a while to update. And again, no problem on the review responses. I do enjoy communicating with my readers a lot. :)

**Superchickensoldier: **Welcome and by the way, fun handle. I love that episode of Bones for many reasons. :D Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed how I built up Sweets' past thus far with all my little references to Bones and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. I'm actually getting pretty close to the end by this point...

**Bakoneko: **Again welcome and thank you for all of your kind reviews on my older work. :D Sweets is also my favorite character (if my fanfic work didn't make that clear enough ;D) and I find that I'm almost endlessly inspired to create fics for him. This one (my first) came about precisely because I had been wanting someone to do a fic that went past the time he was abused to his time with his adoptive parents spanning until we meet him on Bones. I hope you enjoy the rest of my projects as well.

Year Thirteen—Enchantment—Part 6

For the next two days after their talk, rest was the main focus of Lance's world. He ended up sleeping in his bedroom for almost twelve hours a day. It concerned his parents at first until Carolyn saw first-hand how her son would fall asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.

"David, he's so tired," Carolyn said. "He must have been running himself into the ground. I've never seen him so exhausted. Do you think he's….?"

"I think it was just his way of coping," David assured her. "It's not necessarily a bad thing that he chose to deal by distracting himself with work. He just took it too far is all."

"How can it be good for him to wear himself down like that?" Carolyn asked.

"It means that he hasn't given up," David answered matter-of-factly. "He is still trying to push forward, despite all the heartache that life is giving him."

"Perhaps so," she said. "Still, I wish he wouldn't overload himself that way. It's not good for him."

"I agree that he shouldn't take it this far," David mused. "But I'm starting to think that our son is turning into a bit of a workaholic. And I'm not sure how much we are going to be able to curb this trait of his."

"Well at least I know where he gets it from," Carolyn smiled at him. "He's turning out like you in so many ways."

David grinned and pulled his wife close to him. It was not the first time that Carolyn had said that to him, but it still managed to surprise him every time. He liked to think that he had instilled Lance with the moral center to know right from wrong and had given him the guidance he needed to make his own decisions in life. Still David was often blind to how hard Lance was trying to model himself after him.

Even if it was obvious to everyone around them.

* * *

After a couple of days of sleep and hearty meals, Lance not only felt physically rested, but he was sure that he had re-gained a pound or two of weight. It was then that he started to feel his head clear a little and was able to think carefully about what his parents had told him about Laurel and his attempts to move on from her. He found that he was still badly hurt, but spending some time with David and Carolyn had been enough of a balm for his soul so that he was able to think straight at last.

He woke up early one morning before his parents got up, and after spending a few minutes meditating, he made himself some coffee and sat in the front room by the window. As he watched the world outside begin to awaken, Lance sipped his coffee and tried to sort through his feelings.

'_Dad was right….Laurel didn't really know me at all.'_

That one epiphany triggered a cascade of thoughts. Lance remembered all of the details he had soaked up about Laurel: her adventurous childhood, her passion for art, her everyday likes and dislikes, and even her favorite wines and restaurants. But even as he went through this bittersweet list of memories, it occurred to him that not only did Laurel not know anywhere near as much about him, she didn't seem all that curious to learn more either.

'_I intrigued her on the surface…boy genius psychologist…but she never wanted to go beyond that,' _he thought.

The idea made Lance angry at Laurel for the first time since she had left him, and for a while it was all he could focus on. But after fuming in silence for a time, he started to reason that he probably had played a hand in her behavior.

'_I didn't really want her to know the real me…Didn't want her to look inside me…Because of what she would probably find there….'_

Lance shuddered at that; for years he had longed to feel accepted for who he was by people other than his parents. But when the opportunity had finally come along for him to open up, he had backed away from it in fear. While he was upset with himself for the missed chance, another possibility came to him.

'_Maybe it was for the best that I didn't go there with Laurel,' _he thought. '_After all, my parents only met her one time, and even they could see that it wouldn't last…Maybe it would have hurt worse if I had tried to open myself up to her.'_

Lance frowned and sat his coffee cup down. He then picked up a nearby throw pillow and twisted it about in his hands. Despite that moment of desperate loneliness at that club, Lance did not like casual relationships, at least not when they involved so much intimacy. Whether it was a physical connection, like sex or an emotional one, like when he allowed his true feelings to show through his carefully crafted veneer, Lance hungered for the kind of bond that would help him feel secure while he shared himself that way.

And he soon realized that he had had no such bond with Laurel, regardless of his feelings for her.

'_But if that's true…than what was the relationship I had with her?' _Lance wondered. '_Was it just for fun? Just for sex? Am I too weak to know the difference between desire and love? Did I…Did I really love her after all?'_

'_Did she love me?'_

Those thoughts made Lance's eyes sting with tears. He could analyze and turn his emotions inside out for days, but at the core of it he knew that the answer was that he really did love her. Even if their relationship had been doomed from the beginning, there was no denying the love he had felt for her.

Nor could he deny the fact that he would never be sure about what her feelings were for him. He wanted to think that she loved him, but it was very likely that she did not share his intense feelings.

'_But even if she didn't…is that so wrong?'_

Lance sniffed hard and tried to rub the tears out of his eyes. Deep down, he was sure that he would have to find a way to forgive her if he wanted to get over his feelings for her, and he was even surprised to discover that he actually did not want to hold any kind of grudge.

'_She didn't want what I wanted. It's as simple as that,' _he suddenly reasoned in an almost clinical way. '_She wanted a companion…someone to spend time with and to support her through her stressful time…It's not her fault that I wanted something more.'_

Lance punched the pillow he was holding and threw it to the side. It was hard to face facts like these, even if they were the truth. Figuring them out had had given him little in the way of comfort, but Lance knew that he would have to learn to be satisfied with this knowledge while trying to work through his hurt.

He stood up and carried his coffee mug to the kitchen After rinsing it out, Lance wrote a quick note for his parents, letting them know that he was borrowing Carolyn's car and that he would bring them home some lunch later that day. He quickly got dressed and left the house for a few hours.

Lance needed a chance to burn off some of the sorrow and resentment in his heart, and he did not want to do that around David and Carolyn. And he also wanted to see if he could do it on his own.

* * *

Soon a week had gone by, and Carolyn and David observed that while their son was still hurting, he had also become very introspective. But whenever he spent time with them, Lance gradually became more relaxed and social. His parents remained aware though that he was wrestling with his own inner conflicts and tried to give him the space he needed.

Still this did not dampen the joy that David and Carolyn felt at having their son back at home with them.

It was a topic that came up while the two of them were taking care of dinner dishes one night while Lance was in another room reading.

"I didn't know how much I missed him until now," Carolyn said as she plunged the evening's dishes into the soapy water. "David…is it wrong that a part of me wishes that he would stay…not forever mind you, but just for a nice long while?"

David smiled and put down the hand towel that he was using to dry plates. He then embraced his wife from behind.

"Of course not," he murmured into her ear. "You're his mother…of course you want him around. Besides, other mothers don't have to think about their sons finishing grad school for a second time when they are Lance's age. Our son grew up at a much faster rate than the norm…And to be honest, you're not alone in wishing that he could stay longer."

"I don't regret it," Carolyn said, pausing for a moment from her work. "Even though we had less time with our child than other parents get…I don't regret the life we've had as parents."

"I know…And neither do I," David said, tightening his hold. "Having a son like Lance more than makes up for lost years…We were blessed, Carolyn."

The two of them shared a kiss and went back to work on the dishes.

"David, what do you think it is?" Carolyn asked over the clatter of wet cutlery. "What do you think is the thing that our baby is so hesitant to talk about with us? I know that part of it is that he's trying to move past that woman, but still…."

"I don't know," David frowned. "But I'm sure that it's something serious."

"I wish he would tell us," she said as she rinsed off some mugs in the sink. David nodded in agreement as he started to pick up each mug and dry it.

Despite the fact that he was also pretty sure that it would be difficult to listen to.

* * *

Two nights later, it was late and David was restless. After an hour or so of trying to sleep, he decided to go down to the family room with a book to see if reading would help him relax. As he stepped into the darkened room, he turned on a tiny lamp near his favorite chair.

But when he looked around, he saw that Lance was already there, curled up on the couch and staring at the windows. He blinked hard at the light as he turned toward his father.

"Dad I…I'm sorry. I can just go to my…."

"Relax sport, I wasn't in the middle of anything important," David said as he sat down next to him. "So…what is keeping up tonight?"

Lance looked down and fidgeted. He had been trying to avoid this conversation all week and was unsure if he wanted to broach it now. But he was also certain that if he wanted to find a way to work through the doubts and hurts that continued to gnaw at him, there was only way he could go about it.

"Dad…what was your life like….you and Mom….before I came along?" Lance asked.

David was surprised; it was not the sort of question he had been expecting. And while it may not have been clear to him now, David knew that it was not a meaningless inquiry.

"Well…your mother and I…we were happy together," David answered. "And we still are…After we got married, we knew that we did not want to leave a single part of our lives undone which is why we were involved in so many things: travel, volunteer work, and all sorts of personal pursuits. We were fortunate to have so many experiences to share with each other."

David watched Lance nod and grew concerned at how carefully his son was trying to maintain a neutral expression. Soon inspiration hit David and he began to suspect where his son might be going with all this.

"But listen, sport, your mother and I…it was always in the back of our minds that we wanted to be parents," he added. "We knew that until that happened, there would always be something missing. So while Carolyn and I had led a full and happy life, it wasn't complete until we had a son."

Lance looked down again and even in this dim light, David could see that he was trying to hold back tears.

"Lance?"

"Laurel…she…she said that she couldn't handle my darkness," Lance said, his voice beginning to tremble. "She said that I probably pull everyone who is close to me into it…And that I couldn't stop myself from doing it."

Up to this point, David had tried to remain as objective as possible so that he could best help his son, but those words hit a sensitive area in his heart. He had to struggle to push his anger back down.

'_How dare she?' _David thought to himself. '_How dare she talk about something that she knows nothing about…and probably couldn't begin to understand?'_

"Dad, before I came along, you didn't have to think about the kinds of things Andrew did…or the things Roy did to me…."

As soon as those words left Lance's lips, David pulled him in for an embrace, knowing that it tore his son up inside to think about those things.

"You didn't have to think about court battles or worry about your child running away or trying to…to commit…."

Lance swallowed hard and sniffed. He had made peace with that chapter of his life, but that did not dull his feelings about it.

"You had a good life. A happy one," Lance continued, tears finally slipping out. "But I pulled you…both of you…into my darkness, my pain. And I'm sorry."

David kept holding his son while Lance tried to get a hold of himself. This was something that he figured would come up someday, but David wished that it had been under different circumstances. Nevertheless, years of consideration had given David the clarity he needed for this moment.

"Lance…I'm not going to lie to you and say that there isn't a part of you that remains steeped in the darker side of life," he said gently. "It is definitely there…your mother and I have known about it for a long time and have accepted it. Because when you love someone…really love them…you learn to accept all of them. Not just the parts that are easy to love."

David pulled Lance away so that he could look him in the eye.

"But sport, we all have our demons that we grapple with," he said. "We all have parts of us which hold the lesser aspects of ourselves along with moments from our pasts that become no less painful as time goes on."

Lance sniffed and David was relieved to see that he was calming down.

"Now…you had the misfortune of encountering more darkness than most of us ever experience," David said. "It's not fair or right, but it happened. But what you are missing in all this is the other side of this equation."

"Which is what?" Lance asked, his curiosity piqued.

"You are missing how bright the light is from the other parts of your soul," David answered. "The parts of you that are actually in control. Remember what I told you? You bring light no matter how dark things get…And the fact that the darkness was not able to snuff out that light just makes it burn even brighter."

David leaned back against the couch, his gaze still fixed on Lance.

"Did you bring some sorrow to our lives? Yes you did," David said. "But that is an unavoidable part of letting someone into your heart. But you also brought so much joy and love into our lives, and that far outweighs any heartache. And as far as Laurel goes…she hasn't really found her way in the world so she was not able to see things this way. She is not ready to love someone the way you need to be loved…But to be fair, I don't know if you were ready for that kind of love either."

David reached over and patted Lance's arm encouragingly.

"Until you are ready to allow someone to see you for who you are and trust that they will still care for you, you will not be ready for that kind of love," he said.

"I know," Lance said, hanging his head. "I guess…I guess I had known that for a while now."

"Don't feel bad that you knew something and weren't able to really act on it," David soothed. "You're still growing. These things happen…And I'm betting that you just haven't found the right people yet…Be they friends or a lover. But there are people out there who are waiting for what you can bring to their lives."

"Dad…you can't be sure of that," Lance sighed.

"I'm absolutely certain of it, Lance," David said seriously. "Do not let people like Laurel convince you that all you have to offer is a painful past and the residue of darkness. You are so much more than that."

Lance nodded and wiped his eyes. His tears had already begun to dry, but he wished that he could feel better than he did right now.

"It takes time to get over a broken heart, sport," David said, seeming to read his son's mind. "I know that even though it wasn't meant to be, you loved her. Give yourself time to get over that."

"I'll…I'll try….I will," Lance said, straightening up against the couch.

"Good," David grinned. "Now, have you put any thought into your plans for the near future?"

"I thought I'd stay here for one more week," Lance replied. "But then I want to go back to work."

I figured that you would before too long," David nodded. "Your mother and I know how important your studies and your vocation are to you."

The two of them sat in silence for a while after that, both of them confident that they would be able to rest once they went back to their rooms.

"Dad…is it worth it? All of this…is it worth it when you find the one?"

"Yes it is, Lance," David said without hesitation. "I know that this isn't going to be the end of your pain in relation to Laurel…And it probably will not be the last time that you will get hurt…But when you find your place…with the person you're meant to be with or with true friends…it all will have been worth it. I can promise you that."


	62. Year Fourteen, Acceptance, part 1

Author's Note: Next chapter. Sorry it's taking so long to update. Still trying to unwind from my semester (finally) ending this week.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you as always to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this

**Fatewalker: **Oh don't worry, I can relate to that entirely. I can't deny that I must be a little in love with him or else why would I devote so much fanfic time to him. ;) But yes, too bad he's a fictional character...

**Lives in the now: **Thank you for the review. You hit on something that is definitely a theme in this story: the idea that David and Carolyn needed Lance as much as he needed them. I imagine that was probably not too far from the case considering my suspicion that he was their only child. I can see all three of them growing as people in the course of their lives together...

**Buttercups3: **Unfortunately it's something we see in Sweets to this day: he sometimes plays a hand in his own sorrow. But on the other hand, I do think he eventually learned to not beat himself up as much over any possible pain he could have given his parents. The problem is that he had years to see their relationship develop and had many reassurances from them about the light he brought them. I think it's still a work in progress for him to feel the same way about his Jeffersonian family. I sometimes get the impression that he's not entirely sure if they are better off for knowing him and is often too insecure to open up the way he needs to. But I also believe that there are signs of that starting to happen, and kind of hope that they portray this progress on the show at some point. Besides, I'm pretty sure that his Jeffersonian family is already grateful for the light he brings...they just don't always vocalize it. ;)

**TimeWitch93: **Yeah, I had a feeling that there would be a lot of hatred for Laurel even though she clearly had her own issues. And I agree that, in some ways, Laurel did a damaging number on Sweets the same way Andrew did in that he has a definite pattern of putting himself as a distant second in his relationships with women...I sometimes believe that this is one fatal flaw Sweets shares with Booth: neither of them would bail on someone if they have given their heart to them, even if it's in their best interests to move on. Thus, I think both of them are not necessarily with the person they should be with right now...But I have hope that things will work out for both of them in the end. Thanks for reviewing as always. :)

**Peanutmeg: **And thank you for the review. I agree that David gives the best advice and is pretty insightful as a father. And I also think that Sweets may have learned a thing or two from him. ;)

**D: **Well thank you. I am very flattered. :) Considering the field that I'm studying here in college, it is very encouraging for me when other people believe that I have some insight into people...I completely agree that Sweets could find no better group of people who could understand his "touch of darkness" than the family he is surrounded by at the Jeffersonian. Booth, and to a great degree Brennan, could certainly relate to what he experiences. I still think the problem is that he's still a little insecure about his bond to them and thus is reluctant to really open up the way he needs to. I think he and Booth have bonded a little more this season due to the two of them struggling with relationship issues, and I believe that they could help each other a great deal in realizing the truth about their relationships with Daisy/Hannah. It's just a matter of being willing to take that risk with each other...

**Fearlee: **As I mentioned in another one of my recent fics, I suspect that there was a strong, protective streak to David that never really went away, no matter how old Sweets got. So yeah, the idea of Laurel passing some kind of judgment on Sweets' "darkness" would get under his skin. It's something that David is sensitive about during this whole fic...Sorry this update took so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Year Fourteen—Acceptance—part 1

If there was once thing that Lance wished for these days, it was the ability to truly adjust to living in a radically new time zone.

Instead, Lance found that he couldn't sleep even though it was fairly quiet in his basement flat at the moment. He tossed and turned, but rest simply was not coming to him. Interrupting any notion of slumber was the nagging feeling his body had that he should already be up and doing things at this hour, even though it was extremely early in the morning there in London.

As he lay there, he cursed how stubborn his biological clock was at adjusting to living in Europe, but he halted any lingering irritation with the reminder that he had been given a wonderful opportunity to live here while working on his project for his combined Fulbright and Rhodes scholarships.

Lance shifted onto his back and stared at the ceiling. His mind drifted back to the months leading up to this moment of insomnia.

* * *

About six months previous, Lance had finally finished his second doctorate. It had been difficult for him at times due to his continued heartache over Laurel, but the support of his parents along with his growing passion for his work had provided the strength he needed to get through. As he finished his work for his PsyD in Behavioral Analysis, Lance's advisor told him the news about the dual scholarships.

"They want you to write a book related to your work in profiling techniques," his advisor informed him. "It means that you will get the chance to meet other bright stars in your field and live in London for a while. Isn't that exciting?"

Truthfully, Lance had been excited that he had been honored this way and that he could get the chance to study in another country. When he told David and Carolyn about it, his excitement increased as they were thrilled and proud of what he had achieved.

The next couple of weeks after he got the news were a blur as Lance wrapped things up in New York and moved out of his apartment and back in with his parents for a short time. As soon as he was settled back home, the three of them began preparations for his extended stay in England.

But soon Lance found himself growing tense and saddened as he went through the motions of such chores as making living arrangements and getting a passport. A part of him had considered taking some time off and spending it at home with his parents. He had just spent a number of grueling years in college and grad school and figured that he could use the time to rest and reflect before pursuing his next move in the professional realm.

Especially considering what had been happening at home recently.

Starting about two months before Lance finished his doctorate; Carolyn's health had become a little more fragile. What had in the past been a minor cold could sometimes make her bed-ridden for a couple days now. The first couple of times it happened, Lance had mainly felt regret that his mother had to endure bouts like these. But by the third time, Lance wondered if he should go home and help his father take care of her. His parents insisted, however, that he finish up his doctorate, so Lance reluctantly agreed. He consoled himself with the idea that once he was done, he could take the time to help care for her.

Now this had come up, and Lance was becoming uneasy with the idea of leaving his parents for over a year to work in another country. Carolyn had been doing much better in the last month since he had come home from New York, but no one seemed sure if she would get sick again.

David and Carolyn could sense his doubts, and one day Carolyn sat down with Lance to talk about it.

"Baby, I know you're worried, but please don't let your concern for me control your life," Carolyn said gently. "Your father and I want you take this opportunity and make the most of it. It brings us so much joy to see these things happen for you."

"But Mom…I don't want to miss any time with you or Dad," Lance said, his voice unsteady. Carolyn placed a hand on his cheek.

"You won't, Lance," she said in a soft but firm tone. "I promise that both your father and I will be waiting for you when you come back from England, so don't be scared. Even when we are not physically beside you, we will be with you every step of the way."

Encouraged by his mother's words, Lance decided to stand firm with his decision to go to England. A week before he left, David took him aside and presented him with a small box.

"I want you to have this," David said as he placed the present into Lance's hands. "It's to celebrate your accomplishments and so that you can remember….so you can always remember that we're thinking of you."

Lance opened the box and gasped when he found that it contained his father's watch. He lifted it out carefully, staring at hands moving inside the timepiece. He remembered when he was growing up how David wore that watch every single day.

"Dad…this is…it's…I can't…" Lance sputtered.

"It's yours now, sport," David said, clasping his son's shoulders. "It was a gift from my father when I graduated from college…and now that you are finishing up your education and getting started in the world, I want you…my son…to have it. Read the back."

Lance turned the watch over and saw that there was an inscription there.

'_To Lance. For times remembered. Love Dad.'_

"I want you to always know how much you enriched our lives and gave us countless happy memories," David continued, a slight crack in his voice. "And I want you to always remember how proud I am to have you as my son."

David took the watch from Lance and put it on his son's wrist. After looking at it there for a moment, he pulled Lance in for an embrace.

"Thank you, Dad," Lance said, tears forming in his eyes.

Both them held onto each other as tightly as they could because the two of them knew that this was much more than David giving him a farewell gift.

It was the moment that David finally let Lance go: in every sense of the word. From this moment on, Lance would be his own man and no longer David's child. While both of them had been looking forward to this moment for years, they had both dreaded it as well.

Eventually though, they let each other go and a few days later, Lance was waving good-bye to them at the airport. Lance walked away toward the plane with a lump in his throat; he would not be seeing them again for over a year, and he was missing them already.

* * *

Now several months later, Lance still felt an ache in his heart sometimes when he thought of David and Carolyn. There were many phone calls and cards from home, but he found that he missed spending actual time with them.

But fortunately those feelings did not color his entire experience in England. In fact, Lance found his studies and work engaging and challenging and spent much of his time writing his book which had the tentative title "_The Art of Evolutional Profiling"._ When he wasn't working, Lance took some time to explore London and its suburbs and found it an exciting place to be. At first he spent his time visiting famous landmarks, but soon he was attracted to finding the quaint, out-of-the-way places that the locals frequented and quickly had his own favorite haunts. As time went on, he got to know some of his fellow Rhodes scholars and spent time associating with them and with other rising talents in the field of psychology, who were living in London. Lance occasionally went to pubs with them to relax.

Lance sighed and sat up in bed. He decided to give up on sleeping and went to make himself some tea instead. He then sat down at his kitchen table and started up his laptop. Since he wasn't getting any more sleep that day, he figured that he could get an early start on his work so that he find his own diversions in the evening.

He had written other things in the past, articles that ended up in various psychology journals, but this book had become more than just another writing project for him. It would be his first major publication and he had hoped that it would lead to not only further recognition among his peers, but to good opportunities for a career…perhaps even his own practice. This led to many hours of him combing through research he had already done along with doing some additional research as well. Lance spent long periods of time writing and re-writing each chapter, only taking time off to eat, shower and change clothes on some days.

After working on his book until the early afternoon, Lance decided that he should take some kind of break so he quit for the day and went out. At first he thought about seeing if any of his new friends and acquaintances wanted to have a late lunch with him, but in a fit of gloom, he decided against it. He ended up walking the streets alone, pulling his overcoat around him tighter to shield himself against the bitterly cold wind.

Lance settled on one of his new favorite local restaurants and ordered himself soup and a sandwich with the intention of hanging around for afternoon tea.

As he slowly ate his lunch, Lance watched the people passing by the restaurant window thoughtfully. While absentmindedly created a small whirlpool in his soup with his spoon, Lance contemplated the way he was living his life right now and found himself somewhat melancholic. London and his book had proved to be rewarding, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was…separate from the world somehow. He had made a couple friends among the people he had met in England, including one beautiful Indian woman, who he had briefly considered asking out for a date. When he found out that she was already in a long-term relationship, Lance gave up on any prospects of him dating while he was here.

'_Probably for the best,' _he told himself. Lance was still unsure if he was over Laurel and did not want to set himself up for disaster by dating again too soon.

But even after he resigned himself to the ideas that he wasn't ready to date again and that he was often too busy to pursue a social life these days, Lance couldn't help but feel like he was becoming more of an observer of life rather than a participant.

Lance sipped at his tea after it arrived. He had come to appreciate this English institution of a reflective moment for tea, but he was certain that he would become depressed if he brooded for too much longer in his own thoughts. He swiftly finished up and left so he could head back to his flat.

He shivered when the wind brushed along his cheeks and quickened his pace. These past couple of months had driven home the idea that one could be in a crowd and still be alone, and that bothered him. Lance was no longer at the point where he felt like he couldn't socialize with others, but he was beginning to believe that he wasn't capable with being open with other people about himself and this thought disturbed him at times.

'_The only people I can relate to are Mom and Dad,'_ he thought while he walked. '_What am I going to do…when they're gone?'_

Lance shook his head, determined to not pursue that line of thought. He knew that avoiding the idea of losing his parents would not prevent it from happening, but Lance did not like the place his soul ended up moving toward whenever he allowed himself to consider what his life was going to be like without David and Carolyn. But even as he stopped himself from thinking about it, the feelings crept into him, unbidden, and he trembled as much from the external cold as he did from the internal chill seeping into him. Even though he had originally planned on relaxing for the rest of the evening, he suddenly had the desire to bury himself in his work for the rest of the day.

A few minutes later, Lance was making his way down the stairwell toward his apartment. His place was about the same size as his apartment in New York, but it seemed a lot more peaceful and comfortable, thus Lance felt lucky to have been able to find it. As he trudged down the stairs, he began to make plans for how he would tackle his book that evening.

But when he arrived at this door, Lance was startled to find someone waiting for him. A man in a green sweater, jeans and a worn leather jacket was leaning against the door-frame. It was a familiar face that he hadn't seen in too long of a time.

"Lance? Is that really you? You've gotten so tall."

Lance grinned, his mood instantly lifting with this unexpected visit.

"Yes, it's me, Peter," Lance said. "It's good to see you."

* * *

Peter managed to persuade Lance to take him to a nearby pub, and soon the two of them were sipping at beers at a table near the window. Along the way there, Peter had explained how he had managed to get a weekend pass to travel to London and that he would be meeting back up with his unit in a couple days. He had written David and Carolyn regularly over the past couple of years, and they had given him Lance's address in case he had the chance to look his cousin up while he was in Europe.

As they enjoyed their drinks, Peter filled Lance in on some of the things he had been doing in the Army that he hadn't covered in his numerous letters to him. In return, Lance told him about how he had finished up his two doctorates and a little about the work he was doing here in London.

"So you're a doctor now?" Peter said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Should I be calling you 'Doctor Sweets' or 'Doctor Lance'?"

"Just 'Lance' is fine," Lance blushed, enjoying his cousin's teasing, but proud demeanor. "The doctor title is no big deal."

"Don't say that," Peter frowned, his tone suddenly serious. "It is a big deal. What you've been able to accomplish in your life…it means a lot to me and to Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn. Don't ever forget that and start denigrating yourself that way."

"Well what about you?" Lance smiled back, eager to change the subject. "The stuff you've been doing in the Army. I'm sure that Aunt Kate and Elizabeth are really proud of you even if you've probably got them worried about the situations you've been in."

Peter looked down and away, his smile disappearing instantly. As he watched his cousin take a very long swallow from his drink, Lance felt his insides twist a little.

"Peter? Have things….is it worse now?" Lance asked softly.

"I guess you could say that," Peter gulped, still not looking up. "After I was shipped out, we did keep in touch for the most part. Cards on holidays and letters on a regular basis. But as time went on...First it became just cards on special occasions, and now it's like…It's like they don't have anything else to say to me other than 'stay safe and try to stay in one piece' or some such thing. I know they were worried when I told them about some of the missions I'd been involved with in the past, and I don't want to make it any harder for them…But I also think that they believe that I'm…that I'm…."

"That you're keeping things from them," Lance replied. Peter nodded and slumped down in his chair.

"And that's not exactly far from the truth either," Peter mumbled. "There are things that I don't talk about with them. Some are for security reasons, orders to not discuss certain missions and things like that. Others…other things I wouldn't know where to begin."

Lance shook his head; he suspected that Peter was referring to the kinds of stresses and ordeals that soldiers often face in combat situations.

"Have you talked to anyone about it?" Lance asked cautiously.

"You mean like a shrink?" Peter smiled ruefully. "No nothing like that. I talk to the guys…We all sort of do that during down times, you know? And sometimes it's not really about talking to someone as just being around someone who understands."

Lance sipped at his beer while he listened. He understood that it was often difficult for soldiers to talk to any sort of therapist about these kinds of things and wasn't surprised that Peter had chosen to rely more on his friends and fellow soldiers than any kind of professional counselor.

"Still sometimes….sometimes when it's quiet…or when I'm alone, I start to think about things," Peter continued. "Things I've seen, things I've done…I remind myself that this is what I signed up for: to serve my country as needed and when needed. And I don't regret my decision. But sometimes…I wonder if I cut out for it. I wonder if I can handle this kind of work."

Lance felt his heart ache at his cousin's words. At twenty-two, Peter was only three years older than him, but in many ways he had to shoulder even greater responsibilities and was almost as alone in the world as he was….if not more so at times.

"Peter, I can't really treat you professionally," Lance said. "But as a friend…as a brother…If you need to talk about anything, I'm here."

Peter nodded and gulped down the rest of his beer in one giant swallow. He then motioned at the waitress for another one before turning back toward Lance.

"Thanks for that, Lance," he said, pausing for a moment to smile and thank the waitress once his drink arrived. "But I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"But I do worry, Peter," Lance insisted. "Me, Mom, Dad…we are all proud of you, but we worry about you out there too. And you should know that you've got people out there who care about you. You are not alone."

Peter took another long drink and then stared at his glass. Even though his expression was neutral, Lance could see the emotions lighting up his cousin's eyes and could tell that Peter was fighting for control.

"I can't…Not here," Peter said, his voice taking on a rough edge. "Let's just enjoy our drinks and grab a quick bite to eat for now. Then we can talk back at your flat, all right?"

"All right, Peter," Lance said. "We can talk a little later."


	63. Year Fourteen, Acceptance, part 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. This will actually finish off Year Fourteen, and next will be Year Fifteen. As I mentioned, these next couple of years will be kind of short.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch93: **You're right, we are getting close to the end. And it's true that Sweets doesn't really have many people to hold onto during what was sure to be a very difficult time in his life. But as we've seen on the show, that starts to change as he integrates himself into the Jeffersonian...

**Lives in the now: **Thank you for the kind words and the review. :D I'll confess to being endlessly fascinated in the fields of psychology and the more humanistic studies (language, arts, philosophy, history, etc.) and thus I do enjoy having the chance to thing about these characters inside and out and write about them. As I've mentioned before, I often believe that Wyatt was dead on when he described Sweets' adoptive parents as "loving, wonderful people" and not just from Sweets affirmative response.

**Rankor01: **I picture the work and the academics as being ways for Sweets to cope with the difficulties of life. Having a passion and a purpose in life can go a long way toward helping to ease the sting of rejection or isolation. And I totally agree that having Peter around is a fortunate occurrence...for the both of them...

**Fatewalker: **No, I'm following the canon time-line for when Sweets' adoptive parents pass away, so it won't be until toward the very end. As sad as that will be for me as well. And I agree that we are getting to the point where it's hard to not smile at how Sweets might have one thing in mind for his future, but it's going to play out in a very different manner...:)

**D: **Though not a parent myself, I know what you mean since I've reached that "friend" stage with my mother. It a different, but rewarding sort of relationship. And I agree that part of what draws Sweets toward Booth and Brennan (and them to him) is that desire to feel like they belong and are cared about for who they are beyond the surface. I'd say that it's actually the tie that binds the whole Jeffersonian group together. And yes, I often theorized that Sweets had some experience in associating closely with people in the military and felt empathy for them, thus one of the reasons I had Peter be in the Army. Anyway, thank you for your consistently insightful reviews. :)

**Buttercups3: **Yes, I did have you in mind when I wrote this chapter, as I see you noticed. :) I totally agree that an important area that is lacking in Sweets' life at this point is real friendships with other adults besides Peter. Fortunately, he will not have to wait for too many more years before it starts to happen. :) Still there will be a few more good things heading his way before tragedy hits...

**Peanutmeg: **I understand how much RL can get in the way. I know that I find myself wishing that I could update more often now that classes are over, but again that RL thing gets in the way. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this update too. :)

Year Fourteen—Acceptance—part 2

An hour later, Peter and Lance were settled into the couch in Lance's flat, quietly staring at the walls. Lance was starting to think that Peter had changed his mind about talking to him when his cousin finally sat up and cleared his throat.

"There was this guy," he said. "His name was Aaron Bennett. He was only two years younger than me. Funny guy. Always joking around, lightening the mood. He was a godsend to have around. To ease the tension, you know? Anyway, we became good friends. I sometimes think that he saw me like some kind of big brother."

Lance smiled and nodded; it was easy for him to imagine people looking up to Peter that way since he had being doing it for years himself. But Lance's smile quickly vanished when he thought about how his cousin kept referring to this Aaron in the past tense.

"You know why he joined the Army? Because he wanted to make things up for his old man," Peter continued. "You see his dad couldn't join because he had had an accident when he was a teenager that left him with just one leg. But he had really wanted to serve his country. So he fed that dream to Aaron every single day while he was growing up."

Peter let out a huge sigh and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Don't get me wrong. Aaron was a good soldier, and he got a lot of satisfaction of what he was doing," he said. "But it was always in the back of his mind: making it up for his dad and making him proud. The thing is though; his father never would tell him how proud he was of him. Instead his dad would say things like 'work hard and maybe you'll make sergeant' or 'your uncle had his first medal by your age'. And Aaron…he kept telling me that he was going to make all of it happen, and then he would have made it all up for his dad."

Peter pulled his legs back toward himself and swallowed hard. He turned his gaze to the floor and stayed that way for a couple minutes. Lance reached over and clasped his shoulder, wanting to give his cousin some kind of support. Peter tensed up at first, but then relaxed at the touch.

"We were out on routine patrols," Peter said. "We had been told that the area had already been secured and that we were just basically babysitting the area. But I guess no one told those insurgents that. We were fired on. Aaron…he pushed me to the ground and took a bullet to the chest."

Lance felt Peter's shoulder tremble a little, but said nothing while his cousin continued his story.

"As he was…as I held him, he asked me to give his dad his tags and told me…that I had been a good friend," Peter choked out.

"I'm sorry," Lance said solemnly. The soldier shook his head.

"All he ever wanted was his dad to be happy, to be proud of him," he said. "Everything he did was leading up to that moment. And he never got it. He spent his whole life chasing something that he would never get. What kind of a life is that?"

"It's the life he chose," Lance responded quietly. "But as painful as losing your friend is, I sense that that's not what is on your mind right now. Is it?"

"I keep wondering about the life I'm choosing," Peter answered. "I wonder if it's worth it…losing my family, all the things I have to face in these combat zones, not being able to settle down and grow roots of my own…Is it all worth it to chase some kind of ideal or dream of mine?"

Peter collapsed against the couch and fell silent again. Lance was dismayed to see his cousin's eyes start to brighten with unshed tears.

"Peter…you can't live your life for Aunt Kate or Elizabeth or anyone else," Lance said. "You have to live your life for you. If you don't, you'll fall into the same exact trap Aaron did with a different setting being the only change. I know military life is not easy. I can't begin to fathom how you find the fortitude to endure its hardships the way you do."

Lance leaned over toward his cousin, and Peter looked up at him.

"But I think if you look past what your family wants, and past wounds like losing your friend…you'll see the path you need to take in life," Lance said. "I know it's easier to say than it is to do, but I know you'll get there."

"Thanks Lance," Peter said, his voice rough. The soldier sat up and rubbed his eyes. "You know…you really are a smart kid."

They both shared a little laugh before the two of them lapsed into silence again. After a few moments, Peter stood up and stretched.

"Hey, you know it's not that late," he said. "You think we could go find something to do for a while. I need a break from thinking about all of this."

"Sure," Lance said, also getting up. "By the way, have you got a place to stay? I noticed that you didn't have your bag but…."

"Yeah, I managed to get a room at a B&B not too far from here," Peter said. "It's small but comfortable. Just fine for as short of a time as I'm going to be here. Speaking of which, since I'm going to be here for another day or so, I was wondering if you'd have time to show me around London and all."

"I'll have time tomorrow," Lance replied. "Meet me back here around noon, and we can go for lunch. Then we'll just see what happens from there."

"Sounds great," his cousin smiled. "Now, let's go see if we can find something fun to do tonight. I've been wanting to unwind for far too long."

* * *

The next day, Lance got up early so that he could get some additional work done before he was to meet up with his cousin. But as he sat and typed away on his laptop, he couldn't help but get distracted when he thought about last night.

After their intense conversation, Lance and Peter ended up visiting a couple bars and clubs that Lance had gone to with some of his acquaintances in England. It had been fun for both of them, but after a while, Lance often found himself slipping into the background to watch his cousin socialize with the locals.

Lance sighed and stopped typing. He could not stop thinking about how at ease Peter seemed in almost any social setting and how he seemed to have no problems conversing with men or women. Lance felt painfully awkward in comparison. He thought about going home and leaving Peter to his own devices, but his cousin wouldn't hear of it.

"Hey, you should meet my cousin, Lance," Peter would tell the people around him. "He's a bona fide genius and a doctor of psychology at only nineteen years old."

Lance would turn beet-red when he did that, warmed by his cousin's obvious pride and by his attempts to include him. Unfortunately, after the initial fascination, people tended to be put off by Lance's overly geeky tendencies, his slightly clinical demeanor, and by the feeling that he could be getting inside their heads. As a result, Lance would soon be back to acting more like an observer than a teenager looking to have some fun on the town.

Frustrated that he probably wouldn't get any real work done right now, Lance saved what he was working on and shut off his computer. He struggled to understand why he could easily delve into someone's mind to extract insight into their motives, personality and patterns of thought, and yet he often had a difficult time "fitting in" at social settings. As much as he was committed to his pursuit for knowledge about the human psyche, Lance did not want to only relate to people on a clinical or therapeutic level. He longed for personal connections…and not just the kind he had shared with Laurel.

'_Dad always said that I should let people get to know the real me,'_ Lance thought to himself. '_But what if the real me is someone who nobody wants to know?'_

Lance slumped down to rest his head on his forearms which were folded on the table in front of him. When he was being honest with himself, he knew that part of all this was his own fault, much like how it had been with Laurel. When he was with a group of people, he often tense and uncomfortable with sharing too much of himself and tried to stick to more academically themed conversations. While people never ceased to interest him or produce empathy from him, Lance often felt alienated from them at the same time. He was able to find some common ground among his professional and academic peers, but he suspected that they were more interested in what he would contribute to the field of psychology than in him as a person. Lance felt that it was unrealistic for him to be able to find people who truly complemented him, but he did wish that he could find people who he could feel at ease with other than his parents and Peter.

Lance stood up and walked off to his bedroom so he could get dressed. He was looking forward to spending time with his cousin and was anxious to do something to get his mind off these thoughts.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Peter dropped by Lance's flat, and the two of them went out for the day. The weather was still crisp, but it was clear and still, making the day much more congenial for exploring London. A few hours later, weary from all of their traveling around, Lance and Peter settled into a restaurant in the Chinatown section of London for a late lunch. Soon they were feasting on substantial plates of food while they talked.

"Thanks for showing me around," Peter grinned as he dug into his fried rice. "I know some of the guys weren't sure if London would be much fun, but after I tell them about my time here, I'm sure they'll wish they had come."

Lance smiled back while slowly chewing on a wonton. He had had a great time with his cousin, but he wished that the day wasn't winding down so quickly.

"And hey, the next time you're on the phone with Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn, tell them thank you for the care package they sent me last week," the soldier continued. "I sent them a thank you note back, but who knows how long it will take to get there."

"I'll tell them," Lance said quietly.

"Is something wrong?" Peter asked, drawing his eyebrows together.

"No, no, I'm fine," Lance said, making sure to put on his most cheerful-looking expression.

Peter watched him for a moment, confusion evident on his face, but then he went back to discussing his possible upcoming assignments and the countries where he could be stationed. The two of them finished up their meal without any more awkward moments like that one.

* * *

After getting some beers, the two of them ended back at Lance's flat and they sipped at them while Lance caught Peter up on what was happening in David and Carolyn's world. They soon exhausted that subject, and Peter turned to Lance, his face solemn.

"Lance…I know that I didn't discuss everything that's been on my mind, but I want to thank you…for being there," he said. "You've given me a lot to think about, and I appreciate that."

"It's no problem, Peter," Lance responded. "And I know that letters aren't really the same, but any time you need to talk about anything else…."

"I know who to write," Peter grinned. "Don't worry."

"And…and make sure to be careful out there, ok?" Lance said, pensive.

"Of course, Whiz Kid, of course," his cousin sighed, making a show out of rolling his eyes. Lance smiled back, but then shifted his gaze to the carpet. Peter frowned and gave Lance's shoulder a nudge.

"Hey what's wrong?" he asked. "And don't say nothing, because I'm pretty sure that something has been eating at you all day. You've just been trying to hide it is all."

Lance fidgeted in his seat. While Peter might not have picked up on his tension right away or guessed what was in his mind, his cousin was getting better at reading people all the time. Lance was beginning to wonder if perhaps Peter had inherited far more from David than his uncannily similar appearance.

"It's no big deal. It's just…" Lance let out a huge gust of air; he was unsure about what he wanted to say next, but Peter continued to sit quietly while his cousin worked to find the words.

"It seems so easy for you," Lance said. "Being with people. I mean, even as a kid, you seemed to fit in wherever you went. I wish…I wish it could be that way for me."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked. "Haven't you made any friends here? Are you…have you had a girlfriend yet?"

Lance blushed violently. He hadn't told Peter about Laurel and even though he didn't mind being so personal with his cousin, Lance was always uncomfortable exposing his insecurities to anyone other than David.

"I…I had a girlfriend back in New York," he mumbled. "It ended…badly. So I'm not really looking for that kind of thing right now."

"I understand," Peter nodded. "Knowing you, you probably gave your heart to this woman. It takes a while to get over something like that."

"And as for friends…well…I go out with some of my colleagues for drinks and things sometimes," Lance stammered. "A couple of them are really nice. I've had dinner with this one woman and her significant other a few times and…"

"What about close friends?" Peter interrupted. "Who do you lean on when things get overwhelming here?" Lance hung his head, and with his silence, Peter knew that he had his answer.

"Lance, you work might be important, but it's not worth the expense of you," his cousin said, clasping Lance's shoulder. "You shouldn't shut yourself off from the world like this."

"I don't always mean to," Lance mumbled. "But I…I don't know how to connect with people outside an academic or clinical way most of the time. The people I meet…I don't feel like I can relate to them. It's like I'm from a different planet or something."

As he spoke, Peter watched him with a somber expression, but as Lance finished with his last couple of sentences, he began to have the faint traces of a smile. By the end, the soldier let out a short chuckle. Lance furrowed his eyebrows in irritation.

"Lance, don't take this the wrong way, but you kind of are from a different planet," Peter smiled at him. "I mean, yeah, Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn get you. They're your parents; they're going to get you. And maybe I get you now, but that certainly wasn't true when we first met, as we both know."

Lance sighed again and shook his head. He wasn't sure if his cousin's words were making him feel any better.

"But the fact is that you are different from other people," Peter continued. "There's no way around that. I look at the stuff you're doing, and I know that there's no way I could ever be as smart of perceptive of people as you are. And I'm sure that that's true for a lot of people. But you know what? There's nothing wrong with that…You're just in the wrong place right now."

"So what do you suggest? That I move to a different planet?" Lance asked, finding it impossible to not sulk.

"Something like that," Peter said, ignoring Lance's tone. "What I mean is that you just need to hook up with more people like you. Geniuses. You're probably having a hard time right now because you haven't run into a lot of people who can see the world the same way you can or who have been through the sorts of things you have. I'm sure you're getting the chance to meet some interesting and intelligent people through your studies, but I think what you need is the chance to interact with people who have a different perspective. People outside the realm of psychology."

Lance tilted his head, intrigued by Peter's suggestion. But just as quickly, his face fell again.

"How do I find people like that?" he asked. Peter smiled and patted his back.

"Just keep doing what you're doing," his cousin assured him. "After all, you made it to England, right? I bet you'll eventually end up with the types of people you need to be with. People like you seem to find each other. At least, that's what I've seen and heard about. But…there's one thing you need to keep in mind during all this."

"What's that?" Lance asked.

"Don't shut yourself off to any possibilities," Peter replied. "I know you're not one of these snooty types who make a huge deal out of how smart you are or who won't associate with anyone who could be 'beneath' you. But you need to be sure that you don't narrow down your ideas about who you could be friends with too much."

"What? Do you mean that I could be ignoring people who don't conform to my circle of existence?" Lance asked, confused and a little hurt.

"No, not so much that," Peter frowned. "Uncle David is way better than me at explaining this stuff…" The soldier sat quietly for a moment, and then shook himself, his face brightening.

"Ok, there are these guys in my unit, they're really close. But to look at them, you'd never think that they'd be friends," Peter said. "I mean they have totally different interests, there's a noticeable age difference, and on the surface, their personalities seem pretty incompatible. I know that when I first met them, I wondered how in the world these two could ever be friends. But…once I got to know them, I saw that they actually had far more in common than I could have ever realized. After that, it became easy to see why they clicked so well."

Peter leaned close to Lance, his eyes thoughtful and serious.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, a person you think you could never get along with, who you might think you have nothing in common with, can turn out to be just the sort of person you could get close to," he said. "Because inside…where it really matters…that's where true friendship lies."

"I understand…I think," Lance nodded. "But I can't see myself having that kind of friend."

"You're a good person, Lance," Peter said. "But you need to stop being so negative about yourself. You're just hurting yourself for no good reason."

"All right. I'll…I'll try, ok?" Lance said, still feeling somewhat unsure.

Peter suddenly grinned again, and Lance found that it was impossible to stay gloomy in the face of his cousin's cheer, so he smiled back.

"Don't worry, Whiz Kid," Peter said. "I'm sure someone will go ahead and take the gamble on you one of these days. And you know what? They'll be glad they did."


	64. Year Fifteen, Awakening, part 1

Author's Note: Wow...it has been a while. I am so sorry that I have neglected this one for so long. Things have just been insane for me of late. Or maybe part of me knows that we are getting ever closer to the end, and I realize that I will miss this fic when it's done...But still, it's good to get the next chapter up. Again, sorry for the wait.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It is always appreciated.

**Rankor01: **Thank you for the review. I think Peter adds a needed element to Sweets' world: family who doesn't feel self-conscious around who is also willing to give him the advice he needs to hear. And thank you for your comments regarding Peter's military experiences. I was hoping that I was in the right ball park having had some distant relatives who served to draw inspiration from...I agree with you part of Sweets' problem (especially when we first meet him on the show) is that he's had so much of his life consumed by psych based academia that he hasn't learned to relate to people beyond a clinical way. I think back to how he mentioned to Cam once that he just doesn't know how to talk to women and see it as a symptom of that...As for Brennan...I think she has her own issues with psychology, but I think she respects Sweets as an intellectual equal for the most part. That and perhaps she relates to him since she also let her work consume a lot of her as well. They both struggle with the interpersonal at times...

**Fatewalker: **Yeah, Peter has really grown on me as a character, and I think he brings out an interesting side to Sweets. And hey, who wouldn't want to be friends with Sweets or the whole lot of them for that matter? I would think that life would never be boring around the Jeffersonian. :)

**D: **I think it would have been easy for a lot of people who had been given a child as gifted as Sweets to want to make him into all the things they wanted to be growing up. Thankfully, I get the sense that Sweets' adoptive parents mainly supported his life choices rather than tried to control them. It was probably one of the best things they did for him...I agree completely with what you said about the differences between Wyatt and Sweets as therapists. I think as Sweets feels accepted professionally and personally by his team, he will not feel so removed from the world and thus become better able to relate to his patients as people before anything else. I believe we are starting to see that over the last couple of seasons...And yeah, it was kind of fun for Peter to make such an uncanny prediction. ;)

**Lives in the now: **Yes, there will be a lot of sorrow toward the end of this fic, but like you said, the seeds are being planted for the beginnings of Sweets' future family. And as you've seen in my other work, Peter will continue to play a role in that...

**Fearlee: **Thanks for the holiday well wishes. :D Sadly, I could see Peter having to witness and endure many heartbreaking stories like Aaron's...much like Booth had to. Fortunately, he has a cousin he can rely on for times like this...

**I concur vehemently: **Glad you could get caught up. :D Unfortunately, I can relate to crazy semesters of school, thus why it's been too long since I've updated. Sweets has certainly had his ups and downs when it comes to the opposite sex, and I agree that there was a lot to his "deeper calling" beside just his own experiences (thus the thing with his friend Brian). As for Peter, don't worry, nothing happens to him here. In fact, you can see how he is doing in my other fic (The Measure of the Spirit) where he plays a prominent role and which takes place within Season Five's time-line. To sum up though, Peter will be around for a while. :)

**Dukefan1982: **Again, no worries. I can totally understand being busy. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the bonding between the two cousins. There may be some more before this story is over...

**Fear Herself: **Haha, well that was partially intentional on my part. While Peter is supposed to be a lot like David, I did want to point out that he is not taking the place of David, nor is he exactly the same since he had a harder childhood and life than David had. Thus, I figured that the two of them meeting would not go perfectly...much like how it was for Sweets when he met B&B and everyone at the Jeffersonian. But over time, I wanted to show how Peter matured as an adult and grew close as family...And feel free to steal Laurel's soul. She doesn't use it as much as she should anyway. :)

**Healing cat: **Thank you. I love to read stories about Sweets as well, and had been wishing for a while that someone would tackle his backstory...So much so that I just decided one day to try my own hand at it. :) Glad you're enjoying it.

**LemonLime289: **Thank you for the review. I pictured David being a rather intense person, so I'm glad he became so real to you. I hope you end up enjoying the rest of this fic.

Year Fifteen—Awakening—part 1

Lance Sweets had considered many difficult decisions in his life, but few had seemed as complicated as the one he was facing now: the decision on which direction he wanted to go to embark on his professional path.

It had taken many grueling hours, but Lance had finally finished his work in England, and his book had recently been published. When he returned to the United States, he moved back in with David and Carolyn, and now, three months later, Lance was contemplating how he wanted to apply his numerous credentials.

It was at the front of his mind when he woke up that morning in his old bed in the room he had lived in as a child. It was early in the morning, so the house was quiet while Lance laid there and stared at the ceiling. As the morning rays streamed in through the curtains, he wondered for the umpteenth time what he should do with his life.

There was definitely no shortage of ideas. While he had been in London and not long after he returned home, many colleges and universities had sent him offers to become one of their professors, the most persistent ones being places where he had studied in the past. Lance had put some serious thought into taking on one of the positions. Teaching was something he was confident he could do since he had done some of it while in grad school, but Lance was not sure if he wanted to stay in academia.

Other times, he thought about starting up his own private practice since it would give him the chance to work with people directly. Still, he knew that his youth and lack of experience would probably make it necessary to work for an established practice and with that came the worry of finding a place he could not only fit into, but grow professionally.

Once in a while, he even received some offers to work as a part-time consultant with local law enforcement agencies as a profiler. Lance found that he still had a strong desire to further explore criminal pathology, but was also unsure about the prospect of relying on possibly sporadic work as a consultant just starting out in the field.

Lance let out a deep sigh as he realized that all of this thinking had not moved him even one step closer to finding an answer to his problem. He decided to get up instead and start his day. He sat down on the floor, facing the window and closed his eyes so he could begin to meditate.

* * *

Standing outside Lance's room, in the doorway was David. He watched Lance meditate for a minute before quietly walking away down the stairs.

David, along with Carolyn, had been happy when Lance moved back in with them after his stay in England. During the past year, they had only seen their son twice: once around his birthday and once around Christmas time. Both occasions had involved just a brief weekend visit, so they had seen little of him during this time.

After he was finished with his scholarship duties, Lance mentioned wanting to take some time off to rest and to plan his next move in life, and David and Carolyn welcomed him back into their home so they could spent some additional time with him.

These past three months had gone by very pleasantly for the most part for all of them, but David was aware of the conflict and uncertainty in the back of his son's mind. He knew that Lance would not want to stay inactive for too long a time and was struggling to sort through the numerous options he had for his career path.

David knew that Lance had a lot to sift through, having held onto a lot of his mail while he was in London and seeing first-hand the many letters that had come since his son's return. He was certain that Lance was carefully weighing each and every offer, but could also see that his son was reluctant to commit to any of them.

David made some coffee and made sure to leave some in the pot for Lance, who he was sure would be coming downstairs soon. He sat down and sipped at his mug while thinking about the current situation further.

He knew that Lance was not procrastinating with the way he was taking so long to make a decision, and truthfully he was glad that his son was being so methodical. To this day, David could not stop himself from being in awe of his son's gifts, and he did not want Lance to settle for anything less than his dream job.

Soon David heard the muffled footfalls of his son and got up to grab another mug from the cupboard. He had just poured out some coffee when Lance walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning sport," David said as he held out a mug to Lance.

"Good morning, Dad," he replied, taking the mug offered. The two of them went to sit at the dining table and enjoyed each other's company for a while before David stood up again.

"Let's give your mother a break today," he said. "How do you feel about helping me make her some breakfast in bed for her?"

"I'd love to," Lance grinned as he got up.

They went back the kitchen and while David began making some scrambled eggs, Lance worked on toasting some English muffins and pouring out some juice. It wasn't said aloud by either of them, but these days neither one of them minded doing a little something extra for Carolyn.

While Lance had been in England, Carolyn's health had improved somewhat overall, but then about two months ago, she developed pneumonia and had spent a couple of days in the hospital. She recovered quickly, but the incident had scared both David and Lance. Nowadays the two of them found themselves doing whatever they could to make things easier for Carolyn, even though she was almost back up to full strength by now.

Throughout all this, David had tried to keep a brave face, but he had also been immensely grateful that his son had moved back home while this was going on. He didn't want to think about Lance worrying about his mother while he was hundreds of miles away in another country. But even more than that, David drew comfort from having Lance here with him while Carolyn was ill, and was glad that his son was eager to help him take care of her.

Breakfast made, Lance got a tray out while David put all of the food onto plates. On a whim, he pulled out a flower from a bouquet from a vase in the front room to place onto the tray. Once everything was in place, the two of them carefully made their way upstairs. When they walked into the master bedroom, they saw that Carolyn had opened her eyes and had just started to stir. When she saw David and Lance with the tray of food, she beamed at them.

"David, Lance," she yawned as she sat up. "What is all this?" David placed the tray in front of her and sat down beside her on the bed.

"Nothing special," he said kissing her. "We just wanted to do this for you since you are an amazing wife and mother." Carolyn smiled even more and gestured for Lance to come closer. Her son complied and crouched down beside her.

"Thank you…both of you," she said. "I'm so lucky to have two of the handsomest and kindest men in the world in my life."

She put one arm around David and kissed him back while wrapping her other arm around Lance's shoulders. She then turned and kissed his son's temple while trying to hold them both close to her. They stayed huddled like that for a couple minutes before Carolyn let them go and started to enjoy her meal.

"Oh Lance, I forgot to tell you, you'll never guess who called here last night while you were out," Carolyn said in between bites of her English muffin. "Doctor Murray. He was wondering if you would be willing to meet with him at some point."

Lance blinked in surprise at the news. Even though he knew that David and Carolyn kept occasional contact with his old psychiatrist, he himself had not actually spoken to him in years. The last time he had was when he was about fifteen and in the process of transferring to Temple. Murray had asked him how college was going, and after that they had had no further contact with each other.

Part of him was curious as to why the therapist had chosen to try to get a hold of him after all this time, but an even bigger part of him was glad to have the opportunity to meet up with him. There had been many times during his stint in college that Lance wished he could say some things he had been meaning to say to Murray for years. In the past, whenever he had thought about it, Lance couldn't figure out a good way to initiate a conversation or would become intimidated by the prospect.

Now that the opportunity was open to him, Lance did not want to let it go.

"Did he leave a number?" he asked Carolyn.

* * *

A couple days later, Lance was sitting at an outdoor table at one of the local cafes nursing a huge mug of coffee. He hadn't been to this place in years and was surprised that Murray had picked it as a meeting place. But now that he was sitting here, enjoying the atmosphere, it made sense to him. The café was quiet at this time of day and the tables were spread out far enough to give some semblance of privacy. Adding to the ambiance was the unobstructed view of a nearby garden that was next to the dining area.

'_Perfect neutral place for a relaxing conversation,'_ he thought, slightly pleased with himself for being able to observe the clinical implications of the locale. He was about to order another coffee when he saw Murray make his way toward his table. Lance stood up to meet him and held out his hand.

"Doctor Murray, it's good to see you," he said as they shook hands.

"Likewise, I assure you. Likewise," Murray responded as they sat back down. Lance noticed that the psychiatrist now had a mostly grey beard with his partially silver hair, but he still had the same friendly, yet penetrating, air about him.

The two of them indulged in some small talk while Murray ordered some tea and while they waited for it to be served. After that was done, the psychiatrist leaned back in his chair and studied Lance thoughtfully.

"Lance, I have to say that I'm truly impressed with your growth and achievements over these past few years," he said. "David and Carolyn have kept me apprised of your schooling, and I am pleased to see your success."

"Thank you," Lance said, blushing.

"I have also had a chance to read some of your published work, including your book," Murray said after another sip. "Very insightful. I am excited to see your future contributions to our field."

Lance's face became an even deeper shade of scarlet and he took an overly large gulp of coffee to try to get a hold of himself.

"Thank you…again," he said, wishing that he had something more elegant to say in response. He then took a deep breath and looked up at Murray.

"Doctor Murray," he said. "There's something I've been meaning to say to you for years, and I'm sorry that I didn't say it before now….I…I wanted to thank you. What you did for me all those years while I was growing up, helping me to figure out how to deal with my past and with my life overall, it helped me so much. I wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you took me on as a patient…And I hope one day to help someone else the way you've helped me. Again, thank you."

Murray shifted about in his chair, and for the first time that Lance could remember, he saw what looked like tears in his psychiatrist's eyes.

"You're very welcome, Lance," he said quietly. "No…Doctor Sweets. It was a privilege to meet you. You were and always will be one of my most inspiring patients."

"Yeah, well, I know that I wasn't always the easiest child to treat," Lance mumbled, looking down into his cup.

"Perhaps not. But that did not make the experience any less rewarding," the psychiatrist said. "And now, I wonder if I could speak to you, colleague to colleague, Doctor Sweets."

"Sure," Lance said, looking back up. Not only was he intrigued with whatever it was that Murray had to say, Lance had to admit that it was especially gratifying to be considered a colleague by his old therapist.

"I imagine that now that you have completed your studies you are considering how you would like to use your enormous talents professionally," Murray said. "Perhaps you have even received some offers?"

"A few," Lance nodded. "I haven't really committed to anything yet." Murray put his cup down and leaned forward slightly.

"Doctor Sweets…as I said before, your work shows great promise," he said. "I'm sure that the passage of time and the acquisition of experience will only bring forth even greater fruits from your talent. And I can guarantee you that if I have noticed this, others have as well. And naturally, for every legitimate opportunity, there will also be people who will want to use your gifts to their own ends or who will be dismissive of you because of your relative youth."

Murray leaned a little closer yet, and Lance saw a determined glint to his eyes.

"What I hoping is that you remember everything that David and Carolyn have told you over the years," he said. "You're a gifted, dynamic person, fully capable of blazing your own path and deserving to follow your own calling wherever that may lead. Do not let the opinions or recommendations of others dissuade you from your true passion."

"But…other people have had way more experience than me," Lance mumbled, confused. "Shouldn't I listen to what they have to say?"

"Of course you should listen," Murray nodded. "Allowing yourself to be open to advice is necessary in order to gain wisdom. But what I'm suggesting is that you do not let yourself be intimidated by the age and experience of others when deciding how you should lead your professional life. It can be all too easy to let insecurities and persuasive people derail you from what you know in your heart to be what you need to do. Do not lose faith in yourself, no matter what."

The psychiatrist reached over so that he could shake Lance's hand again.

"I foresee great things from you, Doctor Sweets," Murray said warmly. "But whatever they turn out to be, remember that they will be by your own hand and in your own manner. Never forget that."

"Doctor Murray…I…thank you," Lance murmured, his own eyes becoming moist this time. "I won't forget what you said today."

"You're welcome," Murray smiled as he picked his cup back up. "Now, I would love to hear some more about a couple of theories you proposed in your book….."

* * *

A week later, Lance was sitting on the floor of the family room, sorting through his every growing stack of letters and offers yet again. After he scanned each piece of correspondence, Lance would place it on top of a neatly arranged pile. As he did, Murray's words to him continued to echo in his mind.

'_I foresee great things from you…remember that they will be by your own hand and in your own manner…'_

Lance frowned and placed the letter in his hand down onto the pile.

'_I do want to find my own way…but where do I start?' _he asked himself.

He then sighed and leaned back against the couch while drawing his knees up toward his chest. After his meeting with Murray and some additional contemplation of his own, Lance was beginning to arrive at an epiphany.

'_A lot of these offers sound great but…they all only want me to focus on only half of what I have studied…I do want to help people, to counsel them within my own practice. But I also want to keep working in criminal pathology.'_

Lance heaved another sigh and tipped his head back to rest on the couch so he could stare at the ceiling.

He had known in grad school that it was unusual to pursue separate doctorates in clinical psychology and behavioral analysis, but at the time it all seemed….right somehow. But even though his professors and advisors were excited to see his interest, they did question the usefulness of such a path of studies in real world applications.

'_You won't be able to use it all in your career,'_ they would tell him. '_At some point, you will need to make a decision about where you want to focus your energy. Why bother with all this work and then leave something behind?'_

'_But I don't want to leave anything behind,'_ Lance told himself. '_This is my path: to work within both branches…And that's what I need to find: the opportunity to work in both fields. But where am I going to find that?'_

Despite Murray's recent reassurances, Lance felt his insecurities creep up on him.

'_Then again…who's to say that I should take such a path? Or if it's even possible. I mean what makes me better than the people who have been here before and who are advising me now?'_

'_Am I sure that I could really do all this?'_

His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell going off. Lance jumped up to his feet and headed for the door.

"I'll get it," he bellowed out as he reached the door. Lance opened it up to see a woman with bright red hair and hazel eyes standing on the porch. Upon seeing him, she straightened her posture a little and cleared her throat.

"Hello," she said softly. "Are you…is your name Lance Sweets?"

"Yes."

"And…this is where you grew up? This neighborhood?" she asked hesitantly. "And you're a psychologist who recently published a book?"

"Yes," Lance nodded, curious as to who this woman was and why she was here. She pulled out a paper from her purse and glanced at it a bit before stuffing back in and taking a deep breath.

"Um…boy, this is awkward," she mumbled. "Um, I know we've never met, but I feel like I know so much about you already, I….I needed to…."

She stopped and closed her eyes taking another deep breath before speaking again.

"I suppose I should introduce myself first," she said. "My name is Sarah Williams. Well, that's my married name, anyway. Before that I was Sarah Gallo. And you met my father, Frank Gallo, many years ago."


	65. Year Fifteen, Awakening, part 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. Interestingly enough this Saturday (March 19th) will mark the one year anniversary since I've joined this site. I started posting this, my very first fanfic, only a few days after I joined. Seeing this anniversary come and knowing how close we are to the end makes me feel really nostalgic somehow...

This chapter will be the last one for this section, and next will be Year Seventeen (the last year covered in this story). I will warn everyone now: the next year will be a heartbreaking one to read (and to write)...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/writing/reviewing this.

**Peanutmeg: **I can relate. I've been known to use writing as a way to procrastinate. :) Anyway, thanks for the review as always, and I hope you enjoy the conclusion to this section.

**Fearlee: **Thank you! :D I wish I could say that I had everything perfectly planned out from the beginning, but that's not quite the case. I did have the basic plot and framework all mapped out when I started, but I did improvise a little along the way whenever I was spontaneously able to figure out how to add certain things I had toyed with in. Then sometimes I would get stuck and have to figure out how to resolve certain plot ideas. As a result, what was originally supposed to be a fifty chapter fic turned into what is shaping out to be a seventy-five chapter fic! And I'm still only about 90% certain of this chapter count. But yeah, I started this because I wanted someone to write a definitive history for Sweets...so I ended up doing it myself. I hope you enjoy the rest of this fic. :)

**TimeWitch93: **Yep, Frank Gallo was the truck driver who helped Sweets out in Year Six. And yeah, I wanted to have at least one last chapter with Murray just because I enjoy his character and because I think he was pretty pivotal in Sweets' life. There were only two other characters I would have liked to come back to: Lauren MacArthur and Gayle Turner from Year Eleven. I was finally able to revisit Lauren via The Measure of the Spirit. As for Gayle, hmm...;)

**Rankor01: **Thank you. I like to think that I've kept David pretty consistent throughout this (other than the inevitable changes due to the march of time) and admit that I often consider him and Carolyn when I think about Sweets' past for my other fics. :) And yes, Murray is a smart guy and was supposed to be one of the people who inspired Sweets to pursue psychology, thus I figured that he should have at least one last word with Sweets before this story was over. As for Sarah Williams nee Gallo...all will be answered in this chapter.

**D: **Sorry, it's a hard habit for me to break. :) As I told one of my other reviewers a long time ago, when I write the first draft of my fics out in long-hand, I don't have any set chapter breaks. So basically when it's time for me to revise, I try to find the places where I think a chapter break would work. Otherwise I'd have no chapter splits at all or I would have chapters that would go on for at least 10,000 words!...I think you've nailed it with Sweets worrying about getting Booth's approval. It's as if he thinks Booth will reject him if he holds to an opposing viewpoint or opinion or wants to go his own way. I think that it's a sort of insecurity that Sweets will have to overcome in order to make it to the next level as a therapist and to finally feel secure within his family at the Jeffersonian.

**Fatewalker: **Thanks. I don't know if RL is getting any easier, but at least I have a better handle on my time these days. :) I'm glad that you enjoyed my latest update. As to your last question in your review, you will have your answer by the end of this chapter.

**Lives in the now: **I'll admit that I missed writing this fic too. :) I just got really busy, and sort of stuck on the revision at one point. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Battygirl123: **Hee, well I should probably warn you that I have sort of a reputation as far as cliffhangers go. ;) But I'm glad that you're enjoying thus far. Thanks for the review.

**Dukefan1982: **Believe me, I missed it too. :) Anyway you are right about Frank Gallo and you may be right about the reason for Sarah's visit. As always, thanks for the review.

Year Fifteen—Awakening—part 2

Sarah was quickly ushered into the house, where she got to meet David and Carolyn. After she introduced herself, they welcomed her warmly.

"Carolyn and I will never forget what your father did for us," David said. "How he took care of our son and brought him home. You are more than welcome here."

They led her to the dining room table, and Carolyn brought out some tea and fruit for everyone to enjoy. After indulging in some brief small talk, Carolyn and David left the two of them alone so they could have a private conversation.

"Well, Mr….um…Doctor Sweets…."

"Lance is fine," he assured her.

"Thank you," Sarah said, heaving a sigh of relief. "No offense, but it feels a little weird addressing you as 'doctor'."

Lance nodded; he imagined that it would be with his current attire of jeans and a faded blue tee shirt.

"I know that you must be wondering why I am here," she added.

"Yes, but before that, may I ask how Frank is doing?" Lance asked. "I know that we didn't really keep in touch, but I never forgot him or the kindness he showed me."

"That's part of the reason why I'm here," Sarah said, swallowing hard. "My father was in an accident about a year ago. Drunk driver ran him off the road into a tree. He…he was killed instantly."

Lance slumped down in his chair, his mouth hanging open in shock. He hadn't thought of Frank very frequently over the past nine years, but whenever he did, Lance had been warmed by how caring a complete stranger had been to him. His experience with Gallo had remained a reminder that there were still many good people in this world no matter how black things seemed. It hurt him to think that someone like that could have his life ended in such a senseless way.

But then Lance looked over and saw how Sarah's eyes had dimmed and that she had placed a hand over her mouth. He immediately regretted focusing on himself and reached over to take her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Frank was a great man. He will be missed."

"Thank you," Sarah said before taking a large gulp of tea. She refilled her cup before continuing.

"I know it's been a year, but sometimes….sometimes I swear the phone will ring, and I'll be so sure that it'll be him, calling to see how I'm doing," she said. "But then I have to remind myself that he's gone, and that there won't be any more chances to make up for lost time."

Sarah shook herself and wiped her eyes. She stopped talking for a little bit so she could finish the dish Carolyn had served her. By the time she finished the last couple of bites of fruit on her plate, she seemed a lot calmer.

"I'm getting ahead of myself," she said. "Let me start from the beginning. When Mom and Dad split up, it was hard for all of us…even though I didn't see it that way at the time. Mom…she dealt with it by spending as little time as possible at home. She dated a lot, worked sometimes, anything to keep her mind off the life she used to have. I guess she was looking to fill some kind of hole inside of her. But Dad…he didn't know how to deal with it, so he just threw himself into his work and focused on providing. I knew that he paid child support, but years later, I found out that he also poured money into the home Mom and I were living in and into a trust fund for me so that I could go to college or something when I got older."

Sarah gave a short laugh and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm unloading on you. I'm sure you don't need me boring you will all of this."

"No it's ok," Lance assured her. "Please go on."

"Anyway, I didn't really get what happened with Dad while I was a kid," she continued. "All I knew was that suddenly he was gone, and things were never happy again at home. He wasn't around, so I began to think that he didn't need me. Eventually, I was able to tell myself that I didn't need him either. By the time Dad tried to mend things between us, I was bitter and angry so I didn't want to listen. I did my best to be civil to him whenever I got a phone call from him and was even willing to send him some pictures of me when he asked for them. But he and I both knew that there was no affection there. This went on for years until…."

Sarah paused and looked down into her empty tea cup, tracing her finger along the rim. Lance began to wonder if she was going to continue and was about to ask when she lifted her head.

"Until…well…First, I ended up going to college and while I was there I met the love of my life, Sam," she said. "We got married after we both graduated, and he got a job. About a year later I had my first child, Gracie. It's hard to describe, but something about becoming a parent myself…I don't know…inspired me somehow. I started to think about my dad in a different way, and I realized that I didn't want to let our lives go by without attempting to repair things. But to be honest, I couldn't work up the nerve to make the first move. Things had been strained between us for so long. I didn't even know how I would go about starting the right conversation."

Just then, Sarah began to smile for the first time since she started her narrative, and she leaned toward him.

"Then one Christmas Eve, I get a phone call from Dad," she said. "He told me about how he was thinking of me, and he really…talked, you know? We ended up spending hours on the phone. It wasn't easy, but on that day, we started to try to be a father and daughter again. A couple years after that happened, I asked him one day what had inspired him to call me that day and tell me the things that he did. I could hardly believe it when he told me."

She reached over and placed a hand on one of Lance's, tears in her eyes even as she kept smiling.

"He told me that it was all because he had met this kid, this genius kid, who had told him that he was a good father," she said. "He went on to tell me how he found you and eventually took you home to your parents. But most of all, he told me about the things you said: about him and about the two of us."

Lance tried to remain an attentive listener, but he found that he was unable to keep the shock he felt out of his expression. If Sarah noticed it, she paid it no mind.

"I know that Dad said that you were going through some pretty difficult stuff yourself when you met him, but what you said really affected him," she added. "It gave him the courage to give us one last try. It wasn't easy, but over time we really connected. I got my father back, and he got the chance to know his grandchild at long last. He even got to meet two more grandchildren after I had my twins. We were finally a real family again, and we remained that way up until the day he…."

She swallowed hard again and then placed another hand onto of Lance's.

"I know this might seem a little strange, but I knew that I needed to find you and see you. Dad…he actually kept track of you somewhat over the years. An old army buddy of his worked at Temple University, and he mentioned to Dad one day about this kid who was burning through degrees at an accelerated rate. When Dad found out that it was you, he wasn't surprised. He used to say to me, 'I knew that smartass kid was someone special.'"

Both Sarah and Lance laughed at that. Lance remembered Frank as being someone who was unafraid to tell you what he really thought, and he found it somehow endearing to be referred to that way.

"Well anyway, he thought about contacting you every once in a while over the years, but he wasn't sure how to go about it, or even if he should do it," she continued. "But even though he never did, he never forgot about you."

She closed her hands around Lance's and squeezed tight, her smile widening.

"I know that he wanted to thank you," Sarah said. "As did I. So now, I guess I'll have to do it for the both of us. Thank you Lance…Doctor Sweets…for helping us become a family again."

"But I…Mrs. Williams, I didn't really…."

"Maybe you didn't set out to do it, but you did," Sarah said. "Even though you were hurting, and my father was a stranger, you were still kind to him. And both my father and I were pretty sure that it wasn't just because he saved your life and gave you a place to stay for a little while."

"I don't know what to say," Lance stammered out.

"You don't need to say anything," she replied. "What you did back then and giving me a chance to tell you all this now are more than enough."

Sarah stood from her chair, and Lance did the same.

"I should start heading back," she said. "I've got a long drive ahead of me, and I'm sure Sam has his hands full with the twins and helping Gracie get ready for her school play."

"Thank you for coming here and sharing this," Lance said. "It really means a lot to me."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "It meant a lot to me too. By the way, Dad and I saw that you're a doctor of psychology now. Are you doing some kind of research or seeing patients or…?"

"I haven't really decided on a career path yet," Lance answered.

"Makes sense," Sarah said. "You're still young, and it's a big decision. But if I can be so bold, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Sarah moved a step closer to him and looked up into his eyes.

"You're a special person, Lance. I think you were somehow meant for this kind of thing. And I'm sure that no matter what you decide, it will work out, and you'll continue to touch people's lives. Or to quote my father again 'that kid will leave his mark on the world…and we'll all be a little better for it.'"

The two of them walked to the front door, and when Sarah reached her car that was parked in front of the house, she turned back and waved at him.

"Take care of yourself, Doctor Sweets," she called back toward him. "And please don't forget what I've told you today."

"I won't," he promised her. "Goodbye and thank you again."

He ended up watching her drive away and stood there for a while after her car disappeared from view. Eventually he closed the door and trudged back over to the family room, sitting down again on the floor. Lance then picked up the stack of papers that he had been sorting through and sat them down closer to him. He started to pick up the next one to read, but hesitated. Instead he ended up pulling his knees toward his chest and lowering his head. He didn't move from that position even when he heard David walk into the room and slowly sink down to sit beside him.

"You want to talk about it, sport?" Lance lifted his head and rubbed his eyes.

"I know that I hadn't seen or spoken to him in years," he said. "But I just can't believe that Frank is gone." Lance looked over at David and saw the shine of unshed tears in his father's eyes and knew that he felt the same way.

"And…it happened in such a stupid way, too," Lance added. "After he had finally found a way to be with his family again and everything. It just makes everything seem so…pointless somehow."

"No Lance, not pointless," David insisted. "That was the whole reason why his daughter showed up today: to let you know that what you do has meaning. You helped that family reunite even if it was only for a few years."

"That wasn't me. Not really," Lance said, shaking his head. "Frank was figuring out what he had to do on his own, I'm sure of it. It's not like I single-handedly helped him reach that conclusion."

"Perhaps not, but you probably gave him that last bit of clarity…that last push…that he needed to take action," his father said. "Sometimes things like that make all the difference in the world."

Lance stretched his legs out in front of him and collapsed back against the couch with a huff. David watched as his son's eyes flickered over toward the pile of papers and then away a few times before putting an arm around Lance's shoulders.

"I know that you are worried about making the right decision for your professional path," David said. "That's normal for someone your age even if you did get educated at a faster rate than usual. But sport, I think you might be making this much harder than it needs to be."

Lance looked over him briefly before going back to staring at the carpet, a scowl beginning to form on his face. David chuckled in response.

"No, I'm not trying to diminish the importance of what you are facing," he smiled gently. "But I know you, sport. You have a tendency to turn things inside out and then methodically go over every nuance. It's an admirable thing for the kinds of work you'll probably end up doing, and for life in general…up to a point. But sometimes you take it too far and then you stop trusting those good instincts that I know you possess."

"So you're saying that I'm over-thinking this?"

"In a way, yes you are," David nodded. "Tell me something, Lance: after you looked at those offers, I mean really looked at them, how did you feel?"

"Um…a lot of them seemed great," Lance shrugged. "I did a little research on some of them and I know that…."

"No sport, that's what you _think_ about them. Tell me how you felt. How did you feel in your gut after considering each one?"

"I…" Lance started but then paused. He looked down into his lap and twisted his fingers about while he considered his answer.

"They just didn't feel…right somehow," he said. "Logically, I know that there are some awesome opportunities there, but…they just don't fit. Not for me."

"Then your answer is simple," David replied. "You haven't found your direction yet. It's the reason you're finding it difficult to make any sort of commitment: because deep down you know that these places aren't right for you."

"So what do I do?" Lance asked as he threw his hands up in the air. "Just sit here until the right thing comes along? I can't wait for that to happen."

"You haven't exactly been lazy in life, Lance," David countered. "You've worked hard for years to make something of yourself and to find a way to contribute to the world. But I believe that now is the time that you need to trust in higher powers than your own."

"But what if it doesn't come?" Lance wondered. "I have to do something. Don't I?"

"I'm sure you'll find things to do in the interim," his father said. "But I think you will find that things will work out because you have a generous heart that gives to others. When you learn to accept what is given to you, you will find that things are usually moving as they should in your life."

David began to slowly work his way back to his feet, and Lance jumped to his so he could help his father rise.

"The right path will show itself to you, sport," David assured him. "And I promise you that you'll know it when you see it."

Before Lance could respond, the doorbell rang. The two of them looked at each other before walking toward the front door.

"Did Sarah forget something?" David asked.

"I don't think so," Lance said as he reached for the doorknob. He opened it up to see two men in black suits standing on the porch. David moved in front of Lance.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" he asked. The two of them pulled out their wallets and opened them up to reveal badges on the insides.

"I'm Special Agent Courtlier from the FBI," the taller man said. "This is my partner, Agent Dickens. We're here to speak to Doctor Lance Sweets."

"I'm Doctor Sweets," Lance said, stepping forward. "What is this about?"

"You're Doctor Sweets?" Dickens said, a trace of disbelief in his voice. Lance had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.

"I am," replied. "I can show you identification if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary, Doctor Sweets," Courtlier said, putting his arm out straight to silence Dickens. "We were wondering if we might have a word with you."

"What about?" Lance inquired.

"Our organization has been following your work for some time, and now with the publication of your book, there is an even greater interest in your considerable talents," Courtlier responded. "We're here to discuss possible arrangements for you to make a visit to Quantico. The Bureau would like to offer you a position, Doctor Sweets."


	66. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 1

Author's Note: Next chapter. Sorry this one took so long to start, but I wanted to make sure that I had everything planned out before I started this (the final) section of the fic. Hopefully the fact that this is a nice long chapter will make up for it. :)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch93: **A part of me agonized over having Frank die because I loved the character so much, but in the end, it fit with the overall scheme of this story so I went with it...I totally agree that Sweets does need people to remind him to stop over-analyzing things. I think it's a weakness he and Brennan share actually...

**Analorien: **Thank you for the review. :) Sadly, I often can't update as much as I'd like with me being overwhelmed with classes, so I suppose it's not too hard to keep up with me these days...I've been wanting to see a fic that mainly dealt with Sweets' adoptive family for a long time, so this was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy the final part of this story.

**DukeFan1982: **Well this fic is getting very close to the end, so there will be some stuff that won't get as much attention as others. Suffice to say that the focus on these last few chapters will really be on the heart and on family...That's all I'll say for now. ;)

**D: **I built a backstory for David and Carolyn Sweets within my mind as I wrote this fic. It's just that nothing really made it to paper. I tried to offer scattered glimpses into their backgrounds though. To be honest, I do have another project in mind that's related to this one that might shed some additional light on them, but I'm still working out the framework for it. Plus, I want to finish this and a couple other projects up before I begin anything else...but I may mention more about it in the last couple of chapters...I completely agree that part of what might have caused friction between Sweets and Booth at first is their similarities...though I'd venture it's also there between Sweets and Brennan. I've often considered Sweets to be the natural "in-between" result of B&B's personalities...bridging the academic, intellectual outcast with the feeling, intuitive helper of others.

**Rankor01: **Considering his youth and the way he mentioned that his book got him his job at the Bureau, I sort of pictured that he might have been approached with some kind of offer from the FBI or at the very least they contacted him at some point and expressed interest. I imagine he probably still had to go through the application and review process, though (as I've alluded to here)...I think you've touched on a common chord that bothers Sweets to this day: he tends to underestimate the impact he has on others. Thus, I wanted a chance for him to start seeing just how much his actions can affect others...for the better.

**Fearlee: **Haha, yeah that last bit from the previous chapter was the setup for what we all know is going to happen. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the resolution of the Frank storyline. He was such a delightful character, I wanted to give some closure to his story.

**Lives in the now: **It's actually been a pleasure to write too. :) I don't know if I could ever come up with something to top this, but was a lot of fun while it lasted. I hope you enjoy how you finish this out...even though it did take over a year to reach this point...Thanks again for all of your support.

**Fatewalker: **Well this fic was mainly supposed to focus on Sweets' life with his adopted family, so it won't go too much farther...especially since this is the last year that I'm including...I do picture his life being a bittersweet one (no pun intended) and tried to keep that a running thread in this fic. I'm glad you are enjoying the mix.

**Indus: **Thank you. I will confess that the next few chapters were not always fun to write. But like you said, going through all this makes the fact that he eventually ends up joining the Jeffersonian family that much greater. :) Expect this to be the most light-hearted chapter of the rest of the fic.

**Husky713: **I'll admit that I'm always a little impressed when someone reads this whole thing at once. I know that it's a lot to read through at this point. :) I had to really dig inside the show to pull out as much as I could for this and even then I found myself with a lot of gaps. I'm glad you enjoyed the way I filled it all in, and hope you will enjoy the finale of this story.

**Peanutmeg: **Well sadly it took a while for me to update since my spring break got over before I could write more on this and then I got buried in exams and papers. But I'm glad you enjoyed the bit with Sarah. I wanted her to show up at some point, and this seemed like the perfect place to do it. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**PenguinGoddess: **You are not the first to want Andrew's blood. :) His fate has already been spelled out in my Measure of the Spirit fic, so you can take some comfort in that...As to the rest, I've been a huge sucker for fluff and angst ever since I started reading fanfic, so I try to give my fics some of both (although some have more of one than others). Thank you for your wonderful review. I hope you will enjoy the rest of this.

**Ranchan-akari: **Yes, I do try follow canon as much as possible in my fics, so you are right in thinking that there is going to be a lot of sorrow in the near future. This story will not go much beyond that point...I won't say how much just because I do want to keep the ending somewhat of a surprise. Anyway, thank you again for all of your reviews of recent. :)

**JadedDawn: **I agree. Ever since Mayhem on a Cross, I've been hoping that the show would delve more into Sweets' past. Plus, I know that JFD has expressed interest in exploring that part of his character, but so far it hasn't happened. At least, not much beyond a few bits and pieces. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I had been wanting to read a story about his life with his adoptive parents for a while...so eventually I decided to write it myself. Thanks for the review...and you are right about the impending heartache in the next couple of chapters...

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 1

After a long day of work, Lance stood near the doorway and surveyed his apartment, satisfied with what he saw.

The furnishings were sparse and there was nothing decorating the walls, but there was no longer any dust coating the surfaces and there was a clean scent to the place that felt welcoming. It was better than his first apartment that he lived in while he was working through his grad studies, but Lance could not deny that there still seemed to be something missing in this place.

As he studied his surroundings, his mind wandered back to the events over the past year. The interview he attended at Quantico ended up leading to a formal offer of employment with the Bureau, which he accepted. This blossomed into a seemingly endless chain of additional interviews and background checks over the next few months. Lance spent much of that time exploring possible subjects for his next book when he wasn't busy with the Bureau, but his search yielded no fruit.

But Lance endured this process with gratitude because as he learned more about what the FBI wanted from him, the more intrigued and impassioned he became by the prospect of working for them.

He had learned that they were not only interested in his book on profiling and his studies into behavioral analysis but also were intrigued with his clinical studies, having reviewed his dissertation on the effects of job stress on workers.

Toward the end of this process, Lance had a meeting with a Special Agent Duval, who informed him about the type of work they wanted him to do and the reasons they sought him out.

Lance leaned against a wall as he thought back to that meeting.

* * *

"_Your profiling theories show tremendous insight, Doctor Sweets," Duval said. "In fact, we are thinking of putting one or two of your ideas into practice…on a trial run, of course. And if they show encouraging results, as we suspect they will, they will probably be integrated into the official procedures of our profiling units. This is one of the reasons why the FBI wanted to recruit you. We are hoping to have the chance to continue to pick your brain so we can develop new and innovative techniques to help our agents catch criminals."_

_Duval paused for a moment, suddenly developing a somber look on his face. When the agent began to pace back and forth behind his desk, Lance began to suspect that whatever he was planning to tell him next would not be easy to say. _

"_However…the FBI is interested in more than what you can bring to the profiling table," Duval added. "Our field agents…they have a difficult job. They're on the front lines, frequently dealing with some of the worst criminals society has to offer. It can take a tremendous toll on a person."_

_The agent stopped his pacing and turned to face the psychologist._

"_But you seem to have some insight into this too," he continued. "And we would like for you to help our agents in this area as well. Your patients would be those who the Bureau has recommended for therapy as well as any of our staff who might desire a little guidance."_

"_Both of these types of job duties will be your responsibility, Doctor Sweets," Duval told him. "The Bureau is predicting many great things from you, and we would like to be first to make use of your talents. But just as important, we would like to offer you the chance to work with some of our best people along with the chance to serve your government and society at large."_

* * *

Back in the present, Lance plopped down onto the couch. At first he had been more than a little surprised that the Bureau had wanted to recruit him like this and had set about to consider their offer carefully. But he was surprised to find that he moved swiftly toward a decision.

He knew that he would never forget the night that he told his father about his choice.

* * *

"_Dad, it's what I've been looking for," he said. "The chance to use what I've learned to help people as a profiler and a therapist."_

"_You're going to accept their offer?" David asked. _

"_Yeah…yeah I am," Lance responded. "You said that I would know when the right thing came along, and I believe that it has. I...I want to do this."_

"_Then you should go for it, sport," his father told him. "You deserve to pursue the things that inspire you in life."_

"_Thanks Dad," Lance had grinned. "And hey, guess what? They acted like I would probably be assigned to the DC branch of the Bureau. That means that I'll be living only a couple of hours away from you and Mom. We could still see each other whenever we want."_

* * *

Lance continued to look around his apartment with a growing sense of contentment. After accepting the FBI's offer and going through the long admission process, he began his training. It was sometimes a grueling endeavor that kept him away from his parents for days.

In the end, he decided that it was best to go ahead and move to DC once he was assured of his assignment there. While looking for an apartment, Lance took the opportunity to get to know the city and quickly became excited at the idea of moving there. He finally settled on a place and began the process of moving in.

This all lead to where he was now, spending his weekend cleaning and getting his place in order. The Bureau had already started to pay him a salary, but Lance still found himself somewhat low on cash after factoring in the cost of moving, securing his apartment along with all the other incidentals that crop up from relocating. As a result, he hadn't spent much on decorating, and his place had a decidedly Spartan feel to it.

Later when he was facing with the prospect of having to purchase an entire business wardrobe while still being decidedly short on funds, his parents decided to step in and help. At first he tried to decline their offer, but they both persisted.

"_Don't worry about it, baby," _his mother had told him. "_We can easily afford to help you. Besides, it's what we want to do: we want to give you the best possible start in life, including the chance to start your career without having to worry about a bunch of debt from the onset. We know that you'll work hard to make your own prosperity once you get started."_

Lance had been grateful for their assistance since moving out proved to be a more stressful experience at first than he figured. The hassles of getting settled in were somewhat exacerbated by having to train for a new career at the same time.

But for Lance, the most bittersweet moment came when he stopped by to pick up the last of his things from his childhood home.

* * *

_He had stood in his old bedroom, walking around while running his hand along the sky blue walls, tracing the fixtures with his fingers. He knew that he would never forget the day his parents brought him here from the orphanage, and now it made him a little sad to see the room practically empty. _

_He opened a drawer on his beside stand and pulled out a worn, wooden box. Lance then sat down on the box and examined it. It had been a long time since he had opened it, but the contents inside were among the most precious of his possessions. He pulled out his key-ring and unlocked the latch on it._

"_Sport?"_

_Lance whirled around and saw David walking into the room. He rose from the bed to meet his father._

"_I'm just picking up some things," Lance said, motioning toward the small box on the bed. "And I…I…"_

_Lance shook his head and sank back down onto the bed, pulling the box back into his lap._

"_I knew this day would come," he said quietly while gazing down at it. "I mean, it's normal, it's a part of life. Every child grows up and eventually leaves his par—his home."_

_David nodded while he listened. The both of them knew that this time was different than when Lance went off to college for his studies or abroad for his scholarship work. This time represented the end of Lance returning home to them after completing another milestone in his life. From now on, Washington DC would be his home, not this place where he grew up._

"_Is this the last of your things?" David asked him._

"_Yeah, I wanted to be sure of where this was, so I left it for the end," Lance nodded. _

_David peered down at the box and noticed that it was open. His son had had that box for years, having bought it with his allowance money when he was about eight years old. David had never asked him what he stored in there, wanting to respect his son's privacy. But now, he had to admit that his curiosity was piqued. _

_Lance noticed his father's mostly concealed scrutiny and smiled. He then opened the box up so his father could see inside. David glanced in a gasped at what he saw._

_Inside was a plastic kaleidoscope. Most of the tube's color had been rubbed away, but David recognized it as the one Carolyn had mentioned buying Lance when she first started seeing him at the orphanage. Sitting next to it was a tiny origami swan. The edges of the paper had some dirt on them and it was somewhat worn from handling, but otherwise it was in the same shape that it had been in on the night David made it for him._

"_You kept these?" David asked, flabbergasted. "All these years, you kept these in this box?" Lance nodded._

"_They were the first gifts you gave me. You and Mom," Lance responded. "I never forgot how kind Mom was to me…giving me this just because she wanted to see me smile…And you…making this for me after I had destroyed the other one…No one had ever been that generous with me. No one had ever bothered to see past all the hurt and fear I had inside before you and she came along."_

"_Lance…I don't know what to say," David replied, still stunned at his son's words. _

"_It's ok," Lance said. "I know they're just things…but when I was growing up, these things meant everything to me. The memory and the reality of someone caring for me…of loving me for no reason at all...these were things I could hold onto whenever life became almost too depressing for me bear._

"_No, Lance…there was a reason," David insisted. "We loved you because of who you are as a person. And, as you move forward, there's something I want you to remember."_

"_What?"_

"_Home is not just an address, sport," his father said. "It's something you carry in your heart. And no matter where life takes you, you will always have a home with us." Lance closed up his box and set it aside so he could embrace his father. _

"_Thanks Dad," he said. "I'll remember. I promise."_

* * *

Lance looked around his new apartment again and sighed. He had tried to give it a more welcoming feel, but resigned himself to the notion that he might have to be satisfied with a comfortable living space for now.

The doorbell ringing shook him out of his reverie, and after glancing over at the clock, Lance groaned. He knew that his parents were due to stop by his place around this time today so that they could see his new apartment, but he had been so wrapped up in arranging things to his liking that he lost track of time. Now he was dirty and didn't have time to change and freshen up before they arrived.

The doorbell rang a second time, and Lance trudged over to the door, not wanting to keep his parents waiting.

"Mom, Dad," he grinned as he opened the door. "Come in."

Lance moved to the side and watched as Carolyn strolled in slowly so she could take in every detail while David carried in a large box. His father plopped the box down beside the couch and then joined his wife in looking around the place. David then noticed his son's current attire and smirked.

"I take it you've changed your mind about dinner out then?" he said playfully.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Lance said sheepishly. "I guess I let time get away from me."I can grab a shower real quick and then…."

"It's all right Lance," David chuckled. "To be honest, I think we'd enjoy a quiet meal in your place even more. Have you got a phone book? We could order in."

* * *

A couple hours later, David and Lance were clearing away white paper cartons and cleaning up the kitchen while Carolyn napped on the couch in the front room. After they had ordered their food, Lance and his parents had spent time catching up on the latest events in each others lives with the focus eventually shifting to Lance's experiences while training in the FBI. The conversation had continued during the meal and eventually wound down as they finished eating.

"Dad," Lance said hesitantly while wiping down one of the counters. "How is Mom these days?"

"She's doing better," David said wearily. "The doctor said that she's pretty much gotten most of her strength back after all those setbacks last year. And she's been doing a lot more at home."

Lance nodded and the two of them ended the discussion there. Over the past year, Carolyn had suffered from more than one round of fever, and her doctor expressed concerns over the strength of her heart. But after much care from David, she seemed to be getting steadily better. Still, that did not stop Lance from worrying about his mother every once in a while.

For that matter, it didn't stop David from worrying either.

"I can finish up here," David said. "Go spend some time with her. She misses you." Lance nodded and went out to the front room. When he sat down on the couch beside Carolyn, he saw that her eyes were closed and guessed that she was still asleep. He started to get back up so he could find a blanket for her when her voice stopped him.

"Hello baby," Carolyn smiled as she opened her eyes. "Do you like your new place?" Looking into her soft grey-blue eyes and watching the way her smile lit up her face, Lance could not help but grin back.

"Yeah, it's wicked cool," he said.

"Well it's always exciting to have a place of your own," she said as she sat up. "I remember when David and I got our first place together. We had just gotten married and David had started a new job not long after. I swear, it wasn't much bigger than a shoebox, but the more we lived in it, the more it became home to us. I still think about it every once in a while."

Carolyn paused and regarded her son with a thoughtful expression.

"Lance, I don't want to open up old wounds, but…have you been alone all this time?" she asked. "I mean has there been anyone after Laurel?"

The psychologist gulped and instantly felt his face grow hot. He knew that his mother was trying to approach this as gently as she could, but that did not make the moment any less awkward.

"Um…well….finishing up my studies at Columbia really kept me busy," he stammered out. "Then there was writing my book, getting this job, training…"

Carolyn took one of his hands into hers, halting his line of thought.

"Baby, I'm not trying to be one of those meddling mothers who try to control their sons' lives," she said. "But now that you're starting out in life with this new job and new home…well your father and I just want to make sure that you're not neglecting yourself for the sake of your work."

"Mom, I…I…" Lance felt his insides tighten, and his tongue became thick and dry.

"Maybe, that's not the life for me," he continued. "There's been lots of great thinkers, innovators and experts in various fields who put their work first and their personal lives second. Maybe that's the path I need to consider. After all, those people did a lot for the world."

"Perhaps," Carolyn nodded sagely. "It's true that there have been many great people who lived their lives that way, but I'm sure I could name just as many people who still found time for family and friends while contributing to the world…And besides, I think I know something of my own son's heart."

She then reached over and tenderly ran her fingers along Lance's cheek.

"I know that that is no life for you," she said. "You were made to love others and to be loved. I've always known that about you. When you don't have someone in your life who will give you love or when you can't give your love to someone else…that is when your heart becomes heavy and tortured."

"Mom," Lance sniffed. "I just don't know if I can do that…I don't know if I can keep putting myself out there only to get crushed again. I don't know…if I can find that kind of happiness."

"You will," Carolyn said, her voice taking on a forceful edge. "When the time is right and the right person comes into your life, it will happen. I'm sure of it. And this is how sure I am."

Carolyn picked her purse off the floor and reached around inside until she pulled out a small box. She then placed it into one of Lance's hands.

"Open it," she said.

Lance complied and inside he found a small, simple diamond ring. He was about to ask her why she had bought this for him when he suddenly realized that he recognized it.

"This…this is your engagement ring," he gasped. "The ring Dad gave you…I can't take this."

He started to hand it back, but Carolyn closed her fingers around his hand and shook her head.

"I have your father's love. I don't need this ring," she insisted. "I want you to keep it and give it to the woman who will make you as happy as David made me."

Tears brimmed in Carolyn's eyes and Lance knew that they mirrored the ones in his own.

"I know that you will find someone who you will want to be with for the rest of your life," she added. "And I would be honored if you gave them this ring…this symbol of all the years of love David and I shared."

Carolyn held out her arms, and Lance embraced her tightly.

"Thank you Mom," he murmured. "I promise that I will always cherish this….And when I find someone, I will propose with this ring."

Lance held her even tighter, amazed at the gift and at how deeply and fiercely she loved him. As he finally let her go, he prayed that he would one day find a love much like the one that existed between his mother and father for himself.

David walked back into the front room as Lance and Carolyn let go and he smiled. He had found out the night before what Carolyn was planning on doing and had let her know that he fully supported her decision to make a gift of her ring. Seeing the look on his son's face and imaging the tender moment the two of them shared, David was glad that he had encouraged her.

He moved to sit on the couch with them, and Lance scooted over to make room.

"Sport, please keep what your mother said close to your heart," David said. "No matter what happens as you start this new chapter of your life, do not shut yourself away from the world."

"I won't Dad," Lance smiled. His eyes then drifted off to the box that David had brought, and his father laughed.

"I know. You've been wondering what was in this all evening," David grinned. "You always did get excited about surprises."

David pushed the box toward Lance and nodded.

"This is just a housewarming gift," he said. "Go ahead and open it."

The psychologist immediately ripped open the flaps of the box and peered inside. He pulled out a pair of framed photographs of him and his parents.

"We wanted to give you a few things to remind you of home," Carolyn said. "So that you could make this a more personal place."

Lance proceeded to empty the box while David and Carolyn helped to arrange the things he pulled out. Inside he had found more framed pictures, the throw from the family room that he liked to use, one of the old-fashioned clocks from the front room and a couple of antique nautical instruments from David's study that had fascinated Lance as a child.

When they were done, the three of them surveyed their work, and Lance had to admit that the place now had a much homier feel to him.

"Thanks Mom, Dad," he said hugging each of them. "It looks awesome."

"You're welcome, sport," David replied. "Now, it's getting kind of late and your mother and I thought we'd spend the night in a hotel so that we could see more of the capital again before heading home. We'll be having breakfast with you in the morning."

"I'll see you then," Lance said as his parents walked toward the door. "Have a great night…I love you."

"We love you too, baby," Carolyn said. "Enjoy your new home."

After finishing their goodbyes, Lance went over and plopped back down onto the couch. He then pulled the throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around him, relishing the familiar warmth of it. His mind went back to the first day he spent at home with his parents, and he remembered David draping this blanket over him so he could take a nap on the couch. It had been a simple but comforting gesture and as he reveled in the soft fabric, Lance felt a similar kind of comfort.

Suddenly drowsy, he stretched out on the couch, burrowing under the blanket. As he began to fall asleep he thought about how grateful he was that he was still able to hold onto his parents while he began this new phase of his life. With their love and support, Lance felt even more certain that he could find some sort of peace at last.

'_New career, new home…new life,' _he thought. '_It's what I've wanted for so long. Maybe now I can finally be happy.'_


	67. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. I will warn everyone now that these next few chapters will be very sad.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

As always, thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**D: **That is a concept I've struggled with myself over the last few years. Right now, I live in a different state from pretty much all of my family. It took me a long time to adjust to the idea that home is not just a tangible place that is fixed in one location, but something that you carry around inside. Knowing that, I could see Sweets struggling with that idea a bit himself since his early childhood involved so much uncertainty and more than likely little sense of belonging...I remember how angry I was myself when I saw that scene with Daisy in the season six premiere. I had already planned out the scene where Carolyn gave Sweets her ring, and it really upset me that she would go and swallow it and essentially excrete it out...even if it's a good metaphor for what she did with Sweets...It may have been ugly, but I can't deny that it didn't cross my mind for Daisy to be on Broadsky's hit list. Sadly, we seem to be left in some kind of limbo instead.

**Peanutmeg: **And thank you for the review. I could see Sweets' parents being very encouraging and proud of their son's career choice and figured that they would want to give him a housewarming. Sadly, their advice might not go completely heeded...

**Fatewalker: **I can relate completely. After spending so much time contemplating and writing about his past, even I see Sweets differently now when I watch new or old episodes of Bones. Unfortunately, I knew that I would get to this part at some point, but somehow that still does not make it much easier to write...

**Rankor01: **It did seem like to me with the way Sweets talked about being hired that he might have been approached based off his book that he wrote. Considering how much the FBI values behaviorial analysis, I could see them wanting to recruit him directly...I was also very, very disappointed about the fate of his mother's ring. Despite who he was proposing to, I thought that the way he referred to his mother's ring as "representing sixty years of love" was beautiful. It bothered me immensely when Daisy not only did that but that later on Sweets implied that he couldn't use it to propose again. Why writers, why?

**TimeWitch93: **Yes, regretfully, I've noticed many parallels between April and Daisy... though at least April had the decency though to leave him when she figured that it probably wouldn't work in the long run...Still, I'm totally with you in thinking that Sweets needs a more mature, thoughtful, giving woman to be with. I suppose we can hold out hope for Season Seven...

**MissyBlonde1:**Thank you. I always enjoying hearing from people who decided to come in and catch up this late in the fic, and I'm glad that you enjoyed the rest of it so far. We are getting close to the end now, but be warned that it will go a very sad direction for most of the rest of it.

**JadedDawn: **Thanks for the review. I had planned on trying to tie the end with the beginning of this fic along with leading into Sweets' appearance in canon, so I was wanting to touch on the moments that led to where he is now. That moment of gift-giving at the orphanage seemed like a good moment to work from especially since I believe it represented the turning point where Sweets started to heal as a child. Anyway, sorry about the wait. I hope you will enjoy the rest of this fic.

**Fearlee: **I would like to say that you're wrong...but unfortunately you're not since I made the decision going in to stick with canon. I will say though that even though I planned for this, these next few chapters will not be easy to write.

**Moochiecat: **First off, let me give you a huge thank you for all of your reviews. I'm pretty sure that no one else has reviewed _every single chapter_ of this fic, so thank you again for taking the time to do so. Also, thank you for the reviews themselves. This fic was definitely a labor of love and one of the longest things I've ever written either through my own creative work or fanfic. When I started I wasn't sure if I could do such a long epic story (especially since it is the first fanfic I had ever written) but as I reach the end I look back at it as a joy to do. I'm really glad you enjoyed the back-story that I constructed for Sweets and hope that you will enjoy the rest of this fic.

**Buttercups3: **I had wanted to give Sweets one last happy moment in my fic before the inevitable sorrow that is to come and thus the housewarming...Despite how close he is with his parents, I also had to smile at how awkward it would be for Carolyn to ask Sweets about his love life. :) But yet, to me that so typical of what Carolyn would do...as was the gift of the ring actually. I've discussed with you at length about how I felt about what Daisy did to that ring and am still agreeing with you that Sweets is trying to distance himself from that event as evidenced in TDitM this season ("grandmother's ring" *sends a raspberry in the writers' direction*)...A part of me doesn't really want to end this either since I also feel a certain nostalgia for it, but as they say "all good things..."

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 2

Almost three weeks later, David began to wonder who was busier: his son who was just starting a new career or him with the way he had made sure that he never ran out of things to do.

His old boss had contacted him almost a month ago and asked for David's help as a consultant. He explained that he was turning the business over to his sons, and that had been a recent influx of new employees added to the staff.

'_We've got capable people to train them to be sure, but I was hoping that you could give them a little added advice,' _his former boss and friend told David. '_Would it be possible for you maybe spend a couple of hours a week talking with them? Give them a feel for the ropes?'_

The work generated only a paltry consulting fee, but David didn't mind since it gave him a new way to keep himself active in the face of the doldrums of retirement.

When he wasn't doing that, he and Carolyn were making occasional trips to DC to visit Lance. Their son would be starting his new job in about a month and even though he was excited, it was clear that Lance was also nervous. These trips were also punctuated by many phone calls spent talking out various concerns and considerations as their son worked through his jitters.

This still left a lot of empty hours which David filled by spending even more time with his wife.

After her last round of illnesses, both he and Carolyn decided that they wanted to find more things to do as a couple instead of as separate people. This led to many long drives on the countryside, to walks in various parks and along town squares, to the discovery of new hobbies and new pastimes for them to do together, and to numerous evenings spent holding each other as they talked. All of this was far more activity than Carolyn had been involved with over the last few months, and at first, David was worried about the doctor's concerns about the strength of her heart. But as her health improved along with her overall sense of well-being, David decided that it was all for the best.

This morning when he woke up, David started to plan a surprise for his wife. Carolyn had mentioned a couple of times over the past week about how she was thinking about checking out a new exhibit that was opening at a museum a couple towns away. He figured that they could make a day of it by visiting the museum and then sharing dinner together at one of their favorite restaurants in that area.

David smiled as he planned out the trip. He intended to invite Carolyn for another leisurely drive at first and then as they made a "detour", he would let her in on the surprise.

After breakfast and a couple hours spent in his home office setting up next week's consulting appointments, David headed downstairs to find her. Eventually he discovered his Carolyn on the couch of the family room with a book on her lap, fast asleep. David crept over and kissed her on the forehead.

"David?" she murmured as she started to stir. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon," he smiled. "I'm done with work for the day, so let's go out for a drive."

"All right," she said, leaning up to kiss him back. "Let me freshen up before we go."

Carolyn sat up and placed a bookmark in her book before setting it down on the stand beside her. She then got up and started to walk out of the room when she stopped and began to sway on her feet.

"Carolyn? What is it?"

"David…I feel….so…strange…," she mumbled.

Suddenly she stumbled and collapsed onto the floor. David ran over and gently laid her down onto her back.

"Carolyn, what's wrong?" David asked frantically. "Speak to me."

He tried shaking her arm, but there was no response. Carolyn was completely unconscious. David got up and ran over to the phone. He dialed 911 as fast as his shaking fingers would allow and after breathlessly giving his name and address to the dispatcher twice, David began to panic.

"I don't know what happened…She just fainted…She won't wake up. Please get here as fast as you can…."

He gave his address one last time before hanging up and going back over to Carolyn, who still hadn't moved. David carefully lifted her up into his arms and held her close.

"Carolyn, please talk to me," he begged, trying desperately to be calm. "Please open your eyes...Carolyn….Carolyn…."

* * *

About four hours later, David continued to sit hunched down in a dingy chair in the waiting room. The paramedics had arrived swiftly, but Carolyn had not responded to them as they tended to her at their house or on the way to the hospital. As he rode in the ambulance, David held onto her hand, refusing to let go the entire way. Once they arrived at the hospital, one of the EMTs had to yank his hand away so they could wheel Carolyn into the emergency room.

At one point, a nurse came over and handed him a clipboard with a pen and some forms for him to fill out. For a long time, David simply stared at the objects in his hands, his mind struggling to remember what their purpose was. Eventually the rational part of his brain began to function again, and he mechanically filled each one out, line by line.

'_It's all right,' _he tried to tell himself. '_This is not the first time one of us has ended up here. I'll just fill these out, wait, and eventually a doctor will come out, and he will tell me how long she will be here this time.'_

After finally completing the forms and handing them over to another nurse, David sat back down and settled into a numb silence.

He thought back to all the things they had been doing over the past couple of months, and a part of him wondered if he had pushed Carolyn too much, if perhaps they should have spent more time just relaxing at home. But then another part of him, the part that was passionately devoted to his wife, reminded him that Carolyn would have withered away if she were forced to remain mostly quiet and sedentary, deprived of all the things she loved to do.

David put his head into his hands. He had spent most of his life striving to give her everything she longed for and could never ask her to live like that.

For a few moments, he struggled with a nagging thought that all those car trips to DC might have put a strain on her health, but David soon managed to brush that aside. Of all the moments in Carolyn's life that he had been a part of, few had made her as happy as the one when they had first welcomed Lance into their lives. He could still see an inexpressible joy in her eyes as she watched her son go about his daily life whenever she was with him. David continued to be grateful that Lance became a part of their world, not just because of the bond he shared with his son, but also because of the way he enriched Carolyn's life as well.

Knowing all that, David understood that Carolyn would never agree to not being able to see her son as much as possible, especially since he lived so close to them.

The thought of his son reminded David that he hadn't called Lance to let him know what was going on. He hadn't wanted to worry Lance while he was dealing with his own hectic life, and David still wanted to believe that this would all turn out to be something minor and not worth mentioning. But then he thought about how angry and hurt he would be if Lance was sent to the hospital for even a trivial reason, and he wasn't told about it.

Decision made, David went outside and pulled out his cell phone.

"Lance? It's Dad. I didn't call at a bad time, did I?..No, it's…Lance, it's your mother…I don't know, she just collapsed, and we're at the hospital now. Yes…it's serious…Please, please come home. We need you here, and…and…."

Hearing his son's voice, David finally let loose the tears he had been trying to hold in this entire time. The rest of the call was spent with his son trying to console him and promising to come as soon as possible. After a couple more minutes of sobbing, David was able to hang up with his son and make his way back into the waiting room. His tears did not abate, however, once he was there.

While he cried, David began to realize why he was reacting this way: this time was different from all those other times Carolyn had fallen ill. There was something ominous about this crisis. It generated a deep foreboding that filled him with despair. Time dragged on, and David's heart continued to sink even as he pulled himself together.

An hour later, a doctor came out to talk to David, a solemn look on his face.

"I'm sorry…heart failing…too weak to operate…."

David was barely able to comprehend the individual words he was hearing, but he knew what they all meant: Carolyn was dying and there was nothing more anyone could do.

"You can see her now," ended up being the only words that David would allow to truly sink in. The doctor guided him toward Carolyn's room, and David slowly made his way inside.

There, his wife lying on a bed, hooked up to many machines and wires, with her eyes closed.

"Carolyn," he breathed as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He took her hand into his and kissed it, dismayed at how cold it was.

"David?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm here," he murmured, tears filling his eyes again. He watched her pale, blue eyes open and tried to smile. Carolyn managed a wan smile of her own in response.

"I'm sorry…You were planning something today, weren't you?" she asked. David enveloped her hands into his and rubbed them.

"It was nothing," he said. "Don't worry about it."

"No, please, tell me about it," she said.

"Well…I was going to take you to the museum so you could see that Impressionist exhibit that you were telling me about."

"Go on," she smiled.

"Then…then I thought we would go to Salvatore's," David replied.

"Oh, we haven't been there in so long," Carolyn sighed. "I think the last time we went was right after Lance went to Columbia. They always have the best seafood dishes…."

Carolyn closed her eyes for a moment and grasped at David's hands.

"It would have been a lovely day," she said.

"Carolyn?" David said, worried at how weak her voice had become.

"David, please hold me."

David nodded and gingerly lifted his wife back into his arms, mindful of all the tubes and wires that were attached to her. He cradled her close to his chest and pulled the blankets up around her to keep her warm.

"Thank you," she said as she opened her eyes. "I love you. I always have…and I always will." David blinked at the finality in her tone.

"Carolyn, please," he said, starting to break down again. "Please, don't go…We need you here. I called Lance, and he's on his way. You know that it will break his heart if he can't see you again."

"I know…and I'm so sorry," Carolyn said as she also started to cry. She then gripped her husband's forearm.

"Promise me that you will tell him," she said. "Tell him how sorry I am and how much I love him. Tell him how I cherished every moment I had with him, and that I'll always be with him."

"No, Carolyn, you'll tell him yourself," David insisted. "You need to hold on…for him and for me."

"Promise me, David," she cried. "Promise me that you will tell him. I'm begging…." She stopped as David put a finger to her lips.

"Carolyn, I have never wanted you to beg for a single thing in your life, and I'm not going to ask you do it now," he said. "I will tell him if you…if you can't. I promise."

He then held her even closer, their foreheads touching as their tears wound down. David could feel the warm caress of Carolyn's breath on his cheeks, and he wished that he could stop dwelling on how fleeting this moment could be.

"David, do you remember the night you proposed?"

"How could I forget?" he chuckled as he sat up again. "I had made this elaborate plan of a romantic evening with dinner under the stars."

"It was so beautiful," Carolyn said. "You had that table out in Sam Titchner's garden and had arranged for us to have the place to ourselves. Candlelight, flowers…you even made my favorite chicken dish."

"And then a thunderstorm rolls in just as I was getting ready to pull out the ring," David said ruefully. "Worse yet, I had lost the spare key Sam had given me, so we were trapped outside. Thanks goodness he had that gazebo."

"Yes, we ended up spending the next three hours huddled under that thing," Carolyn laughed. "Despite that, you still asked me to marry you that night."

"I almost didn't go through with it," David replied. "What with dinner being ruined, the candles and the flowers soaked, and you having to wear my jacket over your wet dress…it didn't really seem like the right time to propose."

"It was one of the best nights of my life," she said. "I had been waiting, hoping that you would ask me at some point and when it finally happened, the moment was everything I had dreamed of. It was as if the world drifted away so that all that was left was the love we share. I knew then that we would never be apart."

Carolyn fumbled to raise a trembling hand toward her husband's cheek, and David took it and pressed her palm against the side of his face.

"This isn't goodbye. I know that you know that," she said. "I will always be in your heart just as you are in mine…and we will be reunited again soon enough. Until then, take care of our son…and yourself."

"Carolyn," David sniffed.

"David…I love you," she said as she closed her eyes again.

"And I love you, Carolyn," he said as he kissed her.

Carolyn let her hand slide back down and she snuggled as best she could against David. A few seconds later, she let out a sharp gasp and then became limp and still. The silence quickly evaporated as monitors started to screech with loud beeps and buzzes. But all David could focus on was the fact that he could no longer feel his wife breathing.

"Carolyn? Carolyn, please answer me," he said.

Nurses and doctors rushed in, their words registering only as additional clatter on top of all the other noise. They started to pull him away and removed Carolyn from his arms.

"No stop. Let me go," David said as they ushered him from the room. "Don't you understand? I have to be with my wife. Carolyn….Carolyn talk to me…."

In the end, the nurses prevailed, and they were able to push him back into the hallway, closing the door and curtains behind them. David wanted to rush the door and force his way back in, but in his heart he knew that it was futile.

Carolyn Michelle Sweets had left this world…and there was nothing he could do to bring her back.


	68. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 3

Author's Note: Next chapter. I know it's going a little slow here at the end, but summer is proving to be a real challenge to me. At this rate, I'm thinking that this story will be over in about 6-7 chapters and that includes an epilogue.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Lives in the now: **I think that Sweets is quite the romantic sort and often felt that this might be because he watched a true romance and commitment unfold and endure right in front of him with his parents. I believe it explains a lot in regards to his personal investment of B&B's relationship...But I also picture the loss of one of those parents having devastating effects.

**TheVulcanPrincess: **I can relate. I wrote this and had intended all along to stick with canon, but still found it hard to write. But if you read my other fics, you find out that Sweets does eventually get to say his goodbyes to Carolyn...

**Galadrielle18: **Thank you. As hard as it is to have her story end here, I take comfort in knowing that she still has a place in Sweets' life: in my fics and in canon.

**Fatewalker: **Such is the way with my twin obsessions with fluff and angst. :) As for what happens next...well I am staying within canon...

**D: **I've never really understood that myself. Is it worth pushing a loved one away, denying them of their ability to grieve as they need to just to attempt a couple of additional feeble moments of life? And you are right to worry about how well (or how badly) David is going to take this loss...

**Writerchick786: **Sorry. :( But then again, I suppose I shouldn't tell you that things will change much over the rest of this fic...I completely agree that the writers should take the time to revisit this time period in Sweets' past. Having Wyatt mention it in passing is one thing, I think a flashback to these memories would be something else entirely. I also agree that JFD would be able to pull it off very well. He has a wonderful way of adding subtle layers to even the thinnest material he's sometimes given...I actually did think at one point about writing a fic about what would happen if Broadsky had sniped Daisy instead of VKM. I don't know if I'll ever actually write it though just because it seems really AU now...But then again, I suppose I'm not a total stranger to that either.

**Fear Herself: **I'm not surprised that it seems like such a sucker-punch. I know you've been reading this since not long after it began, so probably like me, you've grown kind of attached to these characters. It feels so strange to be ending their stories here...I don't know how fast I'll be able to get this out right now, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

**Rankor01: **As I mentioned to **Writerchick786 **I think there is a significant difference between Wyatt figuring out about Sweets' background with him privately and a real in-depth consideration of what kind of impact his parents' sudden deaths probably had on him during the time period when he was first introduced on the show. Here he is, 22 and just starting out his career, "mostly alone in the world" as Wyatt so eloquently put it and probably still grieving for his parents. Putting how much loss and upheaval Sweets had suffered during his 22nd and 23rd years of life into context I believe does explain a lot about him and his actions from his early days in canon, and I wish the writers would explore that more.

**Peanutmeg: **Thank you for the review and no problem on needing to catch up. I've been there myself many times these days. :)

**Buttercups3: **Thanks as always for the review and the support. :D I really appreciate the encouragement as I struggle to complete this degree along with everything else. One area I can definitely relate to Sweets on is the whole finding people fascinating bit, so I'm excited to be pursuing my current field...As for Sweets, I would check out later chapters of TMotS for some resolution between him and Carolyn. Anyways, I hope you enjoy how I finish this off in the next few chapters.

**Rex01: **Thank for this and your other wonderful reviews (which I will get to as I update). I wanted to spend a little time in Carolyn and David's world for the last chapter just because I think it puts Carolyn's death in better perspective. After all, Sweets wasn't the only one who lost someone...although as you will see, it won't be easy for him either.

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 3

Lance kept pushing a little harder on the accelerator of his car with his foot, wishing that there was some way that he could make faster time than he was now.

As soon as he had gotten that tearful call from his father, Lance had gone to his superiors and explained the situation to them along with requesting some time off.

'_I will return as soon as I can,' _he had promised them. '_But right now…my parents need me, and I need to be with them.'_

To his relief, his supervisors were very understanding and only asked that he keep them apprised of the situation at home so they could plan accordingly.

After meeting with them, Lance rushed back to his apartment and stuffed a few things into a large duffel bag before taking off on the highway back toward his hometown. From DC it was only about a two hour drive, but those two hours were among the longest and most agonizing of Lance's life.

'_Please let Mom be ok,' _he silently prayed as he drove. '_Please let me be able to see her again…at least one last time before…before…'_

Lance gripped the wheel and turned his focus toward the road. He knew that he couldn't allow himself to dwell on things like that and decided to concentrate on getting home and checking on his father instead of worrying before he knew all the facts.

Once he was in town, he immediately drove to the hospital nearest to his childhood home and rushed inside when he got there.

"My name is Doctor Lance Sweets," he said when he reached the first nurses' station he could find. "My mother, Carolyn Sweets was brought in some time ago. Please tell me what room she's in and what her condition is."

The nurses made some calls while Lance paced in front of them. One of them eventually ended up guiding him toward another waiting room.

"The doctor will be out in a few minutes to talk to you," she said as they walked. "In the meantime, I suggest that you stay with your father. He needs you now."

Lance was about to ask her what she meant by that, but the words halted on his tongue once he saw David sitting in the waiting room.

His father was sitting alone in a chair, staring at the walls. Even as Lance approached him, David did not move or speak. His shoulders were hunched over and he made no sound other than the occasional sniffle. But what scared Lance the most were David's eyes. Red and swollen from weeping, they were also hollow and lifeless. The overall effect was that it looked like David had aged ten years in the short span of a couple weeks since Lance saw him last.

"Dad?" Lance said as he sat down next to his father. "Dad, how is Mom? What did the doctors say?"

David didn't answer him, and the psychologist watched as tears rolled down his father's face, unchecked. Lance reached over and placed his hand on David's forearm. In some clinical part of his mind, he recognized this as shock, and Lance was anxious to ease his father's distress.

"Dad, can you hear me?" he asked. "It's Lance. How is Mom?"

"She's gone," David choked out. "She's gone now."

"What? What happened?" Lance gasped. "What are they doing now?"

"They wouldn't let me stay with her," David continued in the same monotone voice. "She…she was so brave…so peaceful. I didn't want to leave her."

"Family of Carolyn Sweets?"

Lance looked up to see a doctor approaching him. David started to rise, but Lance squeezed his forearm, encouraging him to stay seated. The psychologist wasn't sure if his father would be steady enough to handle whatever would be said next.

"I'm sorry," the physician said. "There was nothing more we could do. Her heart was simply too weak."

"You mean…?" Lance gulped.

"I'm afraid that Mrs. Sweets passed away a few moments ago," the man continued.

David collapsed back in his chair with a gasp, but Lance tightened his grip on his father's forearm so that he wouldn't fall out of his seat. As he held his father's arm, Lance was surprised at how numb he felt, but the part of him that could still reason told him that this was also a form of shock. This numbness would be replaced with sorrow soon enough.

"Can…can we see her?" Lance asked quietly.

"Yes, of course," the doctor replied. "I can take you to her room now, if you would like."

* * *

A couple minutes later Lance and David were standing in a silent room that held machines that were all turned off and a bed that had a sheet over a still form. The doctor pulled the sheet back so that they could see Carolyn and then discreetly left the room to give them some privacy.

David immediately went over and sat down on the bed. He leaned close to his wife so he could murmur into her ear in-between sobs. Lance slowly inched closer to the bed, staring at his mother. After a few moments of grieving, David sat up and turned toward him.

"Lance, come over here and talk to your mother," he said. "She wanted to see you before…before she…." David shook his head and began staring at the floor while Lance sat down on the other side of the bed. The psychologist took his mother's hand into his, flinching at how cold it was becoming.

"Mom," he whispered. "I…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be here for you. There's so much I should have said to, and I know it's too late now but I…I love you. I love you, and I'll miss you."

Lance sniffled and held Carolyn's hand even tighter, unable to speak anymore. David looked up and nodded at him before leaning over to carefully scoop up his wife into his arms. He then continued to whisper to her as he wept.

A short time later, the doctor reappeared in the room.

"I am sorry, but I'm afraid that we need to ask you to leave now," he said.

"We understand," Lance nodded dully. He leaned over to kiss his mother on the forehead and then carefully placed her hand back down on the bed. Lance then stood and put his hand on David's shoulder.

"Dad, we need to go now," he said solemnly.

"No, I can't leave her," David cried. "Don't you understand? She needs me here. I can't…."

"I know," Lance said, his voice watery. "But there's nothing more we can do for Mom. She's at rest now. It's time for us to say goodbye so that they…so that they can do what they need to do."

David looked back down and gave Carolyn one last lingering kiss, pausing after he broke it to cradle her close. He then gingerly laid her back down onto the bed and after another minute of watching her, David rose to his feet and allowed his son to guide him out of the room. Once they were out in the hallway and the door closed behind them, David started to break down again.

Lance helped him over to a couch in the waiting room and then sat down next to him. Tears pricked his eyes as he embraced David in an effort to comfort him, but Lance held them in as best he could.

'_I can't lose it. I can't,' _he thought to himself. '_Dad needs me. Needs me to be strong… like he was for me all those times that I needed him.'_

Lance sniffed softly and continued to try to console his father as best he could. He pondered the fact that he had spent years studying to be a psychologist which meant that he was well versed in matters like grief, coping mechanisms and helping people work through their losses.

But in the face of his own building sorrow and his father's rapidly breaking heart, Lance wondered if all his training was of any real use at all.

* * *

An hour or two later, after helping David complete some final paperwork, Lance drove his father back to the house. Once there, he grabbed his duffel bag out of the back and followed his father's unsteady gait into the foyer. Lance then closed and locked the door behind him and was about to go up to his old room when he noticed that David hadn't moved.

"It's not right," his father mumbled. "Being here without Carolyn. It's not home."

"I know," Lance nodded. "This place isn't the same without her."

"No it's not….and it never will be again," David replied.

The two of them shuffled over to the dining room and sat down next to each other at the table. David put his head in his hands while Lance put his arm around his father's shoulders. They sat that way silently for a while until the psychologist rose to his feet again.

"I'm going to get something to drink and maybe a quick snack," he said. "Would you like me to get you something? I could make you a sandwich or…."

"I don't need anything," David interrupted, his gaze fixed on the tabletop. Lance nodded and went into the kitchen. Truthfully, Lance didn't really feel like eating either even though he was aware that he needed to. It just seemed like a task to be done out of necessity more than anything else. Besides, he knew that not eating would weaken his ability to care for his father and that was something Lance could not allow to happen.

After having a drink of water, Lance searched the cupboards with little interest as he tried to find something he was confident he could choke down.

* * *

Some time later both David and Lance decided that they needed some rest and David headed up toward his bedroom. Lance offered to stay with him while he fell asleep, but David would have none of it.

'_Go ahead and rest in your old room, Lance,' _his father told him. '_I would like to be alone for a while.'_

Lance didn't really want to be alone, but he respected his father's wishes and watched as David trudged up the stairs. A few seconds later, Lance heard a door shut.

He thought again about trying to get some sleep, but Lance found that he was suddenly restless. He took his bag up to his room and changed out of his suit and into a tee shirt and lounge pants. He then wandered aimlessly around the house, eventually deciding to go to the family room.

Lance furrowed his eyebrows when he got there. A stand had been knocked over and a broken vase lay on the floor.

'_When did this happen?' _he wondered as he knelt down beside the shards of porcelain. '_This is one of Mom's favorite vases. She's not going to be happy when she finds it broken.'_

As he pushed the broken pieces into a pile, it occurred to him that this might have happened when the EMTs arrived at the house to take Carolyn to the hospital. His hands shook as he got back up to his feet.

Lance went over to a hallway closet and got out a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess. After finishing and setting the stand back up again, Lance returned to the family room and admired his handiwork, satisfied that everything appeared to be in order.

Weary again, the psychologist plopped down onto the couch. He glanced over to the stand beside him and found a book lying there. Curious, he picked it up and read the back cover. He froze, however, when he saw the bookmark that was sticking out.

'_That's Mom's favorite bookmark. Dad got it for her during one their visits while I was at Columbia. Mom must be reading this one right now.'_

Lance opened the book and flipped through the pages, flicking the tassel of the bookmark with his finger a few times before stopping himself.

'_I'd better stop doing that. If that falls out, Mom will lose her place and then she'll….'_

Lance closed the book and gripped it in his hands, his knuckles during white.

'_But…Mom won't be finishing this book. She can't. She won't read this book…or any other ones ever again….And she's not coming home either…She'll never know about her favorite vase…'_

He dropped the book down onto the floor, his shaking starting to spread throughout the rest of his body. He thought about all the things that Carolyn would never do anymore: never work around the house, never go on walks with David, never call her son to see how he was doing. There would be no more surprise visits from her, no more birthdays spent together, no more holidays with her. As Lance considered all the memories he would never be able to create with his mother, a hole started to form in all the memories he had of her from the past. A hole that could never be filled.

A hole that mirrored the one that was forming in his heart.

'_Mom's gone and she's never coming back. I'll never see her again…And now I'll never get the chance to thank her and tell her how much I love her.'_

Lance collapsed, face first into the couch and finally let go of the tears that he had been holding in. He tried to muffle his sobs by burying his face into the upholstery, worried that he might disturb his father. But as his tears grew more anguished, Lance found it harder to care about things like that.

Unable to move, Lance ended up spending the night there, trapped in a haze of sorrow and regret and longing for some comfort from his parents.

* * *

David spent a long time staring at his bed.

He had managed to work up the energy to change clothes and take care of his basic needs some time ago and had planned on getting some rest. But when he was faced with the prospect of sleeping alone, he dreaded taking another step. Instead he stood at the foot of his bed, staring longingly at the two sets of pillows across from him.

Eventually he grew weary of standing in one place and proceeded to take careful measured steps toward the bed. Once there, he forced himself to sit down on the edge of what had traditionally been his side of the mattress.

'_It's just sitting. That's all,'_ David told himself. '_I've sat down on this bed alone lots of times. There's nothing out of the ordinary about it.'_

David ran his fingers along the cotton sheets. He could still remember the day that Carolyn had picked them out. The two of them had decided that their bedroom needed some freshening up so they went shopping for a whole new ensemble. Carolyn had even color-coordinated the bath towels and throw pillows with the new decorating scheme. David smiled a little when he thought about the good-natured ribbing he had given her over how meticulous she had been in choosing everything. Ribbing she had accepted in good, loving humor.

He looked down at the floor and noticed a splash of color sticking out from under the stand next to the bed. David reached down and pulled, surprised to find an old throw pillow underneath. It was faded, worn and had a thin layer of dust on the fabric.

'_It's Lance's old pillow. From when he used to sleep in here with us as a child. Carolyn must have kept it here…probably for the memories.'_

David brushed the dust off with his fingers. Feeling the smooth fabric in his hands took David back to Lance's early years with them. After all this time, he could still vividly recall mornings when he would wake up with his son and wife beside him, a deep sense of love and contentment filling every fiber of his being. David closed his eyes and remembered watching Carolyn open hers, a smile always behind them at the sight of her husband.

But those memories soon became tainted by the realization that he would never see her eyes open again…that he would never be able to hold her at night….never be able to feel her touch as they greeted a new day together.

David shuddered and more tears slipped out. He couldn't think about that, couldn't accept it. Every time he allowed himself to accept this truth another piece of his heart withered away.

Keeping his eyes closed, David collapsed back onto his side into the bed, still clutching the throw pillow he found. Instinctively, he buried his face into Carolyn's pillow and found that it still had her scent: a scent of spices, lavender, and soap all in an intoxicating mix that was unique to her.

Lost in his memories and unwilling to wake from them, David eventually fell into a fitful slumber that mercifully lasted the entire night.


	69. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 4

Author's Note: I apologize for neglecting this one. I have the next chapter or so drafted out, and I hope to finish this before August is over...again, the key word being "hopefully"...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who has been reading/following/reviewing this. It's always appreciated.

**Rex01: **I agree that Sweets holds a lot of things back. I think it's part of his nature to guard everything, his own heart most of all. In this case though, I see it as trying to be strong for his father, much like how he tried to be strong during TBitB where he knew that everyone had a lot on their plate with Taffet's murder...I'd need to re-watch the penultimate episode, but I agree about Sweets' grief feeling very real in that and JFD doing a wonderful job of keeping it profound and understated at the same time...I hope this chapter was worth the long wait.

**Rankor01: **Thank you. Considering how affected Sweets seems to get at random people and friends dying around him, it made sense to me that his mother's loss would be a crushing blow...Plus, I've sadly seen and heard first-hand about how losing a spouse can affect the one left behind, especially if they had been part of a long, happy marriage.

**Fearlee: **I'll admit, it was something that was sad for me to think about as I reached the later chapters of this fic. Wyatt's words to Sweets about the wound still being fresh in Sweets' heart made sense to me as I planned this part out...

**Lives in the now: **This was something that I wondered about while I was writing it: would these chapters have as much impact since everyone knows that they are coming? I am very thankful to see that, so far, that has turned out to be a baseless concern. As always, thanks for your support.

**D: **I can relate to that. I've lost all of my grandparents and this reminded me a lot of when my last grandmother died. The loss just seemed to hang over me like something tangible but out of reach. I don't know if I should be glad that you could relate to my words, but I continue to be grateful that you are enjoying my work.

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 4

The next morning, Lance was up early. He made himself a pot of coffee and after having a cup, he started out on some chores. The kitchen needed some light cleanup and the laundry had managed to build up a little, so he tackled those things first. Once they were done, Lance found himself looking for things to do. He went from room to room and searched for anything that might need cleaning, straightening, dusting or any other kind of attention.

After a couple of hours of this, his stomach rumbled and it occurred to him that he might not be the only person who could use some food. He finished the task he was currently on before going back upstairs to change and freshen up. He then went back to the kitchen and prepared a light breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit and toast along with another pot of coffee. Once it was ready, Lance went to his father's room and knocked on the door.

"Dad, it's Lance," he called out. "Are you awake? I have breakfast made."

There was no response from David, and Lance felt his chest grow tight. He knocked a little harder on the door this time.

"Dad, is everything ok? Do you need anything?" After another few seconds of silence, Lance put his hand on the doorknob.

"Go ahead and start eating, Lance," David responded. "I'll be down in a couple minutes."

Lance nodded and went back down to the dining room to sit down at the table. He slowly started to eat and was soon joined by his father sitting down next to him. The psychologist took in David's haggard expression and his seemingly permanent slumping, but chose to be grateful that his father was at least trying to continue with his normal routine.

The two of them ate in silence: Lance forcing himself to eat as much as he could, and David initially picking at his food, but eventually eating some of it as well. When it became obvious that neither of them could consume any more, Lance cleared the table and went to clean the kitchen while his father continued to sit and stare into space.

Lance had started on the dishes when David walked into the kitchen.

"You didn't have to do that," his father said. "Carolyn would have been more than happy to do…You should relax while you're here on your visit."

"It's ok, Dad," Lance said, worried about his father's dazed demeanor. "I don't mind helping out."

David slowly developed a pained expression as his own words sunk in and realization of his mistake reached his brain.

"I…I'm sorry, Lance," he mumbled. "I don't know what I was saying there." The psychologist pulled an arm out of the dishwater and wiped it with a hand towel.

"It's all right," he soothed as he pat David's arm. "It's going to take some time to…to adjust. Here, I'll take care of things in here and then we can spend some time together in the family room, all right?"

"Thank you," David said before trudging out of the room. Lance watched him until he disappeared from sight before returning to his chores.

* * *

After he finished up, Lance went to the family room to find David lying down on the couch asleep. He crept over to his father and was relieved by the steady rise and fall of David's chest. He then knelt down beside the couch, continuing to watch him as his eyes grew watery.

Lance's heart ached at how frail David had become. Even at 68 years old, David Sweets had recently been as sharp and vital as ever despite the fact that he had slowed down a little physically. But now, the psychologist couldn't help but notice every line and wrinkle on David's face and every white hair on his head.

The reality was that David Sweets was an old man who needed someone to tend to him…and Lance knew that that someone would have to be him.

Lance placed his hand on his father's forearm and squeezed it before standing up again. He got a blanket from a nearby chair and carefully covered his father with it. He then walked out of the room to attend to some more household chores.

* * *

The rest of the week proved to be draining for both of them. There were numerous forms to fill out, arrangements to make with the hospital and then with the funeral home, and bills to settle from both places as well. Then there was the matters of the insurance company, adjustments to David's trust arrangements and going over Carolyn's final papers. Then there were the funeral arrangements themselves. All of this made for many long, tiring meetings.

Lance had accompanied his father to all of these meetings and handled any phone calls at the house himself. Whenever there was paperwork to complete, he would read it over with David and tried to make sure that his father understood all the pertinent points before he signed anything.

All of this proved to be far easier, however, than when Lance had to complete the task of notifying all of his parents' friends and family about Carolyn's death.

There had been the obligatory obituary that had been sent to the local paper and some people from the neighborhood, including some of David's former co-workers had stopped by to offer their condolences, a couple of them offering to put them in touch with any legal assistance they might need during this time. But that turned out to be only the beginning of the process.

There were many people across the country and even in Germany who would need to be informed. David knew all of them far better than Lance did, but the psychologist knew that his father was in no shape to take this task on. Lance offered to handle it for him, and his father gladly handed over his address books to him before spending most of the day in bed.

Lance settled into his father's study and began to make some phone calls. At first he didn't think this would be so difficult, but after only a few phone calls the opposite turned out to be true. Having to tell all of these acquaintances and virtual strangers about his mother's death only served to further reinforce this cold, hard fact in his mind while listening to their shocked and sorrowful responses made him relieve his and his father's grief at her passing.

After only about ten phone calls, Lance put his head down and wept for almost thirty minutes. In the back of his mind, however, was the thought that this chore had to be finished at some point, so he took a few deep breaths to pull himself together and went back to work.

Once he was finished with that, it was time to send out cards and letters to notify those who couldn't be reached by phone or who lived in Germany. Lance found that every stroke of the pen had the effect of making his mother's death feel even more real and distressingly perfunctory. Soon all of this began to have a numbing effect on the sensory memories of Carolyn that he was trying to hold onto. Everything, from the sound of her voice to the soft, faded blue to her eyes to the gentle touch of her hand, was becoming little more than fleeting impressions to him.

"Lance, where are you?" his father's voice rang out, muffled and searching.

Lance rubbed his eyes vigorously, hoping to hide their redness, and left the study, making sure to remind himself to continue working as soon as possible.

* * *

Days eventually crawled into a week and throughout that time, Lance continued to find ways to keep himself busy. When he wasn't doing chores, going over the details of Carolyn's memorial service or meeting with friends and family, he tried to spend as much time as he could with his father…or at least, as much time as David would allow him.

Once in a while, David would invite his son to sit with him, but these times usually consisted of Lance watching his father stare at the walls, his eyes searching for something they would never find. The psychologist was almost certain that his father wouldn't have noticed if he had up and left during these times, but Lance always ended up staying next to David in case he was needed.

Most of the time, however, David wanted to be left alone. He was often brusque in his dismissals of Lance and would spend hours shut up in his room or his study, only coming out for visitors, meals and tasks related to Carolyn's funeral.

During this time, Lance was able to draw some comfort whenever he found his father taking a nap somewhere in the house. He would sit on the floor beside him, and if he closed his eyes, he could still imagine things as they used to be: his parents welcoming him home and finding new ways everyday to remind him of their love.

At night, Lance would lie awake in his bed, stifling his sobs as best he could when they came and shaking in fear when they didn't. Sometimes he would actually creep over to his father's room and open the door just a crack so that he could check on David. Once he was satisfied that his father was sleeping peacefully, he would go back to attempting to sleep or would look for new chores to do: desperate to find some order to his life and to have some purpose in his father's world.

* * *

Carolyn's funeral was well attended. Distant family, old friends, neighbors, members of clubs she had belonged to: all of them were there. Despite the somber atmosphere, Lance was awed at how many people had been touched in some way by his mother's gentle, loving spirit.

Lance smiled when he saw his Aunt Kate and his cousin Elizabeth show up. He hadn't seen either of them for years, but was heartened by the sight of some more familiar faces.

"Aunt Kate, Elizabeth," the psychologist said as he walked over to meet them. "It's good to see you."

"Yes, thank you, Lance," Kate said as she looked around. "Do you know where David is?" Lance pointed him out, and his aunt immediately left, leaving the psychologist feeling a little confused and hurt.

"Mom and Aunt Carolyn were very close," Elizabeth said. "This has been really hard on her."

"I understand," Lance nodded even though a part of him was still smarting at how he had been snubbed.

"Oh, by the way, Peter wanted me to tell you how sorry he was that he couldn't make it today," she continued. "He tried to get leave, but it's too chaotic where he is right now. He also wanted me to let you know that he will be coming here as soon as he can."

"Thank you for that," Lance said. Elizabeth smiled at him and patted his arm.

"I should go find Mom," she said as she backed away. "It was good to see you, but well you know…family should stick with family right now. You understand, right?"

Lance nodded and watched her leave, his throat becoming tight.

"Yeah," he said once she was out of earshot. "I'm pretty sure that I do."

* * *

Lance remained mostly silent for the rest of the service, finally rejoining his father when they gathered at the gravesite and the priest started to speak. As he sat next to David and watched the others around him, Elizabeth's words continued to echo in his mind.

'_Is that why Dad keeps avoiding me?' _he wondered. _'Because he's longing for family? Like Mom? Like some of the people here?'_

The psychologist shook his head and tried to concentrate on the priest's words. He knew that it was irrational to think that David cared any less for him just because Carolyn was gone. This was just his father's way of handling his grief and pain. Lance was determined to not let his own insecurities cloud his feelings right now.

Still, Lance could not stop his own grief from compounding at the possibility that there was no longer any room for him within David's heart.

At the end of the service, Lance helped his father to the grave and the two of them placed flowers on the coffin lid. David laid a pair of roses, one white and one red, down with an unsteady hand. Lance followed with a white rose of his own along with a daisy he had bought right before coming here. After setting the flowers down, the psychologist let his hand rest on the lid for a moment.

'_Goodbye Mom. I love you, and I'll never forget you or what you did for me.'_

Lance hastily brushed a couple of stray tears away and guided his father back toward the car so that he could take him home for the wake. Neither of them said a word during the whole trip and Lance figured that was just as well.

It gave him time to get his feelings under control so that he could face everyone at the wake and make sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

* * *

Three days after Carolyn's funeral, David still could not bring himself to fully believe that it was anything more than some kind of horrible dream. When he woke up that morning, it occurred to him that it had been almost two weeks since his wife's death and he couldn't shake that thought from his brain even if he did refuse to acknowledge it.

Instead of brooding on that, however, David decided to try to make it through another day. As he showered, shaved and changed, he asked himself for the umpteenth time why he felt the need to carry on this way, but the answers continued to elude him. He persisted in his wondering if only to find some small way to distract his mind from the unrelenting grief in his soul.

After robotically eating his breakfast, David settled into the family from with a couple of photo albums. It was something he had been meaning to do for a while, but was unable to work up the courage for until today. He was pleasantly surprised to find that flipping through these pictures helped him relive many happy memories that he had of his life and of Carolyn. He traced his fingers along each photo, his brain reconstructing the events surrounding these captured images and it provided him with some measure of comfort.

David was startled out of his reverie by what sounded like a strangled sob. It was barely audible and only lasted for a few seconds. For a moment, he actually wondered if he was crying again and just didn't realize it. David put a hand to his face, confused when he found no tears there, and then decided to get up so he could find the source of the sound.

He walked into the front room and there he found Lance on his hands and knees, dusting some of the lower shelves of a bookcase, tears starting to dribble down his face as he worked.

David staggered back a step in shock. He suddenly thought back to the last few days and remembered how all of the chores had somehow managed to get done and that there was always food waiting for him at mealtimes. Not only that, but the house had become even cleaner and more ordered than what Carolyn would usually keep it.

It also occurred to David that he had done nothing to make any of this happen…and that Carolyn could not have done it either.

As these thoughts worked their way into his mind, another set of memories began to come back to him.

'_Lance, I want to be alone right now. Go find something else to do.'_

'_I'll get to this later, all right? Stop nagging me about it now.'_

'_Stop hovering over me. You don't need to watch my every move. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.'_

For the first time since Carolyn's death, David found something else that could bring him to tears.

'_What have I been doing? Lance…my son…has been taking care of almost everything: calling everyone…the funeral…the wake….everything. He took care of me and this house.'_

'_Who is taking care of my son?'_

"Lance," David said quietly, brushing some tears away. The psychologist gasped and dropped the things in his hands. He whirled around and frantically wiped at his face.

"Dad," he sniffed as he tried to get a hold of himself. "I was just…. What is it?" David walked over to the couch and gestured for his son to join him. He waited until Lance was sitting beside him to speak again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I haven't been taking care of you the way I should have been."

"No Dad," Lance said, shaking his head vigorously. "Don't worry about that. You just lost your wife."

"And you just lost your mother," David replied. "I still remember when I lost my mother, sport. I was several years older than you are now, and Vincent and I had each other to lean on. Plus, there were numerous family members who helped to take care of everything for us. Still, it was one of the worst days of my life, and I can only imagine how it's been for you."

David put his arm around Lance and pulled him close.

"I know that you loved Carolyn," he murmured as he listened to his son's breath start to hitch. "And she knew that as well, Lance. She…she wanted so badly to tell you herself and she wanted you to know that she loved you too. You brought so much joy to her world."

David could feel shudders beginning to wrack Lance's body and his breathing becoming even shallower.

"You don't have to hold it in," David said. "Go ahead and let yourself mourn. I'll be right here, I promise."

No longer able to contain himself, Lance fell into his father's arms and buried his face against his shoulder while he wept. David wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"I'm sorry, sport," he said. "I know that doesn't make it any better, but never forget that she…and I…will always be with you."

David said nothing else for hours as Lance released all the sorrow that had been gnawing away inside of him. As he held his son, he felt his heart break a little more when he realized that he had finally come to terms with the fact that Carolyn was gone, but in this moment it didn't matter as much as David thought it would.

Even in his current grieving state, David knew that he could never choose his heart's wistful yearnings over his son…no matter what it cost him.


	70. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 5

Author's Note: Next chapter. For those who are curious, I'm thinking that this will end up being about 74 chapters long. So we are really getting close to the end.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again to everyone who has been reading/following/reviewing this.

**Rankor01: **I've heard many people say that death is actually harder on the ones left behind, and I think that shows in the last chapter (and in chapters to come)...I see David as someone who sometimes has times of weakness, but who always finds his strength when needed. A characteristic that I believe is also evident in Sweets himself...I agree with your thought that Carolyn's death did give him some preparation for the grief that would come from losing his father as well. I think that Sweets actually has a quiet sort of strength that's easy to overlook at times. But I also think that the others are aware of it on subconscious level, and that that's part of the reason why he slowly gains their respect.

**TimeWitch93: **I know. It seems strange to think about considering how long I've been working on this fic. But you're right. We are very close to the end...unfortunately for Sweets...

**Fearlee: **I agree. The stories where I feel some kind of emotional connection with the characters, be it happiness or sadness, tend to be my favorite as well. I'm happy that it's that way for you and hope you enjoy the relatively fast update. :)

**Ladykale1985: **Sorry to say, things will not get any easier with this chapter...

**Peanutmeg: **Thanks for the review. Unfortunately the heartbreak will only continue...

**Voiceless Night: **I can understand that. Sometimes I do a similar thing if I'm reading an author whose work I'm familiar with and have become attached to. Reading can be pretty visceral at times, but definitely worth it...I'm thrilled that you enjoy my versions of Sweets' adoptive parents. Ever since Wyatt mentioned them in passing in Mayhem, I've been intrigued as to what kind of people would choose to adopt a child who had such a difficult background and would raise him into the person we see on Bones, adding in the fact that they apparently were at an older age when they decided to do it. I hoped that I could bring people like that to life and am glad that it has happened for you...Thank you again for all of your kind reviews, but I'm sorry to say that this chapter probably will not be an easy read either...

**D: **That is the essence of who Elizabeth is to me and is the reason why her and Peter are not close: she is kind in a casual sort of way, but does not think carefully about other people's feelings. Kate is just a more blunt version of that...When Sweets mentioned in Mayhem that his parents died within weeks of each other, that seemed to indicate to me the crushing loss of a wife quickly followed by the death of the husband, because as you so correctly pointed out, men do not do well when they lose a long-term spouse. Many psychological and health studies have shown this...I agree that it has to be hard to be alone in a time like this, something that I think was glossed over in canon, unfortunately...

**Rex01: **To his credit, it was impossible for Booth to know how much his comments might have stung simply because Sweets is _not_ the most open of people. He does tend to hold a lot in and not share much about himself or his background. But yeah, it is kind of poignant to think about what Sweets might have been thinking/feeling when Booth says things like his comment about the worst thing Sweets enduring being that he lost at Mortal Kombat. I hope at some point they touch on this more within canon.

**Lives in the now: **I completely agree with your idea that trying to keep things normal was a coping technique and a way to try to comfort his father, which Carolyn would have appreciated . Keeping to some sort of routine with people he feels he can trust does seem to be a crucial way that Sweets copes with the more difficult times in his life, as evidenced by the fact that he manufactured a book just to continue therapy sessions with B&B, thus maintaining an important routine for him...As you will see in upcoming chapters though, routines do have a way of falling apart...

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 5

The following day after he had spent the previous evening consoling his son, David woke up and realized that last night had been the first time he had not spent the entire night dreaming about Carolyn.

That thought stirred up mixed feelings within him. David could not deny a sense of further loss, but he also felt a strange sort of calm that was borne of acceptance of the situation. That in itself proved surprising to him because he remembered how, when the doctor first announced Carolyn's death, he had refused to fully internalize it, knowing it could break his heart completely and possibly kill him right then and there.

As the next few days went by, this acceptance continued to grow even though David still would weep and mourn over his wife by himself on occasion. Despite melancholic times like those, David reminded himself every morning to get up and continue on with his life the best he could.

When he wasn't filling his hours with the required routines of life, David spent every moment he could with his son. The two of them took turns making each other light, leisurely meals and would go on quiet walks together around the neighborhood. In the evenings and well into the night, they would sit in the family room together, side-by-side and share long conversations with each other.

This proved to be the favorite activity for both of them these days. David would pull out one photo album at a time and they would share in the memories that the photos would bring up. Soon David brought out pictures that pre-dated Lance's life and his father would spent hours talking about his life with Carolyn, slowly going backward in time with each night up to when they first met.

When they weren't sharing memories, Lance told David more about what he had learned and seen while in training at the Bureau and about his hopes and plans for his professional life. Lance often worried about boring his father with these thoughts, but David remained fascinated and content that his son was going into a career that held so much promise for him.

About two weeks after Carolyn's funeral, and after a hearty meal and another relaxing evening of stories from David, Lance collapsed back against the couch with a huff. David looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Sport?"

"Dad…you and Mom…you had such amazing lives together," Lance said. "I mean, mine feels kind of small in comparison."

"That's because you're only twenty-two," David said with a slight smirk. "Your story is just beginning."

"I suppose," Lance said. "But…it already feels like I've been here forever. I know that that isn't true, but…" The psychologist shrugged, and David frowned while he studied his son. After a minute of this David put his arm around his son's shoulders.

"Lance…were you happy?" he asked. "I mean growing up. I know that you had some difficult times and that things weren't perfect…But your mother and I tried our best to give you a good life."

"Dad," Lance gasped, his eyes widening in shock. "You and Mom, you gave me the best life…When I was with Andrew, I didn't think loving families, like what I saw on TV, could ever exist. It hurt, but I got used to the fact that life was nothing more than misery and pain."

The psychologist swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a moment to get a hold of his feelings. David felt his chest tighten at his distress.

"Lance you don't have to say any more. Don't feel you have to…."

"Please, let me say this," Lance said as he opened his eyes. "When I was at the orphanage and in those foster homes, I got to see that I was wrong. Loving families did exist…but I wasn't meant to be a part of one. Been tossed about from one place to another, I was convinced that Andrew had been right about me: my life was nothing more than a mistake and no one could ever love me."

Lance looked back over at his father, the tears in the psychologist's eyes mirroring the ones forming in David's.

"Then you and Mom came along, and it was like I was taken away to another world," he continued. "I couldn't believe that people like you existed and that you could possibly love me the way you did. Sometimes…sometimes it was hard for me to go to sleep at night because I was afraid that my life with you was a dream and that I'd awaken back into the miserable grind that I was living before."

Lance rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking straight into his father's eyes.

"You and Mom gave me everything I needed," he said solemnly. "A secure home, a good education, love, guidance, support…everything. You nurtured me as if I was your own child and I could never thank you enough for the life you gave me."

The psychologist slumped back down in his seat and smiled at David, his father quickly returning the grin.

"Was I happy?" Lance added. "Maybe not every moment. But overall, as a whole, yes. Yes I was. And, I still am…at least, I'm as happy as I can be these days."

David nodded in sympathy, but something Lance said had caught his attention and he frowned again. He then reached over and put his hand on his son's chin, tilting his head so that Lance would be forced to look him in the eye.

"Lance, the reason we nurtured you as if you were our own is because you _**are **_our son," he insisted. "It was no accident that you ended up in our home and in our lives. It was where you were meant to be all along."

David then placed his hands on either side of Lance's head, his thumbs brushing away any stray traces of moisture on his son's cheeks.

"If there is only one thing you choose to believe without the slightest trace of doubt, I want it to be this: that you were always our son and that we will always love you," David said, his tone stern, but gentle. "And there is nothing in this life or the next one that will change that. Do you understand?"

Lance placed a hand over one of his father's hands and nodded.

"I do," he murmured. "And I promise that I'll always remember that, Dad. You are my father. No one else was, is or ever will be my father. The same is true for Mom. I will never think otherwise…nor will I ever stop loving either of you."

"Good," David said, his smile returning. He moved his hands away and embraced his son tightly. After a couple of moments, he let go, still keeping an arm around his son's shoulders.

"Hey Dad, thank you for the past few days," Lance said. "I've really enjoyed hearing more about you and Mom and talking with you about things. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, sport. But shouldn't you be getting back to work soon? You have a life in DC to think about now."

"It's ok," Lance said hurriedly. "I can stay however long I need to. And, and if I have to, I could always move back here and…"

"No," David said, his tone firm. "You are not staying here. I will not have you throwing away your new life before it's even begun."

"But Dad…."

"Listen to me," David interrupted. "The last thing Carolyn would have ever wanted from you would be for you to give up everything you've worked so hard for. And the same applies to me. Lance, this work that you're doing; this is what you were meant to do. You were meant to help people. Do not put me or your mother in the way of that."

"Dad, even if that's true, I'd want to help you before anyone else," Lance said. "You and Mom gave me everything. I need a chance to give you something in return."

David pulled his son a little closer to him and rubbed his shoulder.

"You did give us something, Lance," he said. "Many times over, I might add. You gave us your love and your loyalty without question or reserve. We know how much you care for us, and I have never doubted your devotion to us."

David then patted his son's arm while his eyes took on an intense glint.

"But this isn't the way, sport," he continued. "I know you might not understand it completely right now, but believe me when I tell you that few things could give me more pain than the thought of you sacrificing your life just to take care of me."

Lance shivered a little at the wistful, strangely calm demeanor that had come over David, but quickly shrugged it off when faced with his father's deep affection.

"I can find my own way," David said. "You do not need to stay here permanently. You have done plenty for me and your mother already."

"Thanks Dad," Lance said. "But I'll probably stay for a couple more days anyway. To get back in the right frame of mind and all."

"I understand," David nodded. "It takes time to get over a loss like this. Just know that even when we aren't by your side physically, we are always with you in spirit."

"I know," Lance smiled. The two of them then sat in silence for a while, each of them enjoying the companionship they shared that went beyond words and the bond that they knew would outlast the both of them.

Eventually, David glanced back at his son and noticed his droopy eyes and nodding head. He patted Lance's shoulder and then rose to his feet.

"Come on. I think we both could use some sleep," David said. "Especially you. You've been putting in a lot of long days here recently."

"Yeah," Lance yawned as he stretched. He got up and started turning off the lights while David went up the stairs.

"Good night Dad," Lance said as his father walked into his room.

"Good night sport," David responded. He watched Lance walk into his bedroom before gathering his things and heading off to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

* * *

While David changed and brushed his teeth, he suddenly felt a chill run through him followed by an eerie sense of peace. He spit the toothpaste out and stood still by the sink for a few moments until the feeling passed. He then felt a new sensation that managed to disquiet him a little: a feeling of finality…of things coming to an end.

Suddenly, David was seized by the desire to see his son one more time.

He finished up in the bathroom and then quietly made his way to Lance's room. He carefully opened the door to find that his son was already asleep. David walked over to the bed and watched him sleep for a couple of minutes before bending down and giving him a light kiss to the temple.

"Goodbye Lance," he whispered. "I love you. Forever and ever."

"Love you too, Dad," Lance slurred out, not fully awake. He started to stir a little more, but David hastily tucked him in more securely and rubbed his back.

"Go back to sleep, sport," he murmured. Soon Lance settled back into a deeper slumber and David left the room, making sure to close the door behind him.

He then went to his own room and settled into bed, sleep coming to him almost immediately.

* * *

A few hours later, David felt himself waking up and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the first rays of sunlight making their way in through the curtains. He had the feeling that he wasn't alone, so he sat up and looked around the room.

"Carolyn?" he whispered.

"David," came the soft reply. David turned toward the voice to see his wife walking toward the bed. He found himself immensely comforted by her presence even though he was startled to see her looking just as she did on the day they met. But that was swiftly replaced with awe as he thought about how beautiful she was.

"Have you been here long?" David asked.

"A little while," she smiled. "Thank you, for what you said to Lance. It was very lovely."

"Carolyn…please don't go," he begged, tears springing to his eyes. "Don't leave me again."

"I won't leave you," she said. "It's time now…Time for us to be together again. Come with me David."

David swallowed hard; instinctively, he knew what it would mean if he joined her and for a moment he felt a pang of sorrow at the thought of leaving Lance behind.

Carolyn held out her hand toward him and in that moment, David knew what he needed to do.

He stood up and took her hand into his and then embraced her tightly while kissing her, peace and the sensation of becoming complete at last filling every part of David's soul.

"I love you," he said.

"And I love you," Carolyn said.

The two of them left the room together, content in the knowledge that they would never be apart again.

* * *

Later that morning, Lance woke up, feeling more rested than what he had in what felt like ages. He sat down on the floor and mediated for a short while before getting up and starting his day. After finishing his shower, the psychologist decided to treat his father to brunch at one of their favorite local diners instead of making breakfast today.

He finished getting dressed and then walked over to his father's room, knocking at the door.

"Dad, are you awake?" he asked. "I was thinking we'd go out for breakfast today. My treat." When there was no answer after about a minute. Lance rapped his knuckles against the door again.

"Dad?" Moments passed by and there was still no sound coming from the room. Lance hesitantly turned the knob on the door and slowly walked inside. David was lying in bed, facing the window, and it looked to Lance like he was still asleep.

"Dad?" Lance said, reaching over to jostle his father's shoulder. The moment he touched David, however, Lance knew there was something wrong, and he jerked his hand back. He then rushed over to the other side of the bed and placed a shaking hand on his father's wrist with the other one moving to rest over David's mouth. The flesh was cold and unmoving and there was no sign of a pulse or breath.

Lance dropped down to his knees, his breaths coming out in short gasps and tears already starting to slide down his face.

"Dad," he blubbered. "Don't go. Please don't go. I need you…please."

Lance grabbed David's hand and then buried his face against his chest while he cried. As he wept, he found himself praying that this was some kind of nightmare and that he would wake up soon.

But as he continued to cry and beg, one thought throbbed in his brain.

David Stephen Sweets was gone… and no amount of begging, crying or wishing would ever bring him back.


	71. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 6

Author's Note: Next chapter. I have almost all of this drafted out and there will be a grand total of 74 chapters as it stands.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you as always for reading/following/reviewing this.

**Fatewalker: **Yeah, I'm trying to follow canon, but I think even the writers were a little cruel here. I mean, if I were doing this on my own, I would have had them pass away so close together. As for your other question, I'm sorry I didn't answer it before now. I was amazingly busy with finals. But I will PM you this week if you are still interested.

**Va32h: **I can't deny that I am very flattered by your review. Having seen snippets of your work, I agree with many other at the Bonesology forum that you are a talented writer, and I am well acquainted with your opinion of Sweets' character. I hope, however, that you can enjoy the rest of my imagining of Sweets' background. I think it puts a lot of things Sweets does in a different perspective.

**DukeFan1982: **I completely agree with that. I barely had much time to do anything during my last two semesters of college. I'm still amazed that I was able to update as often as I did, and I had practically no time to read other fan fic, so believe me, I understand...Sadly I have more than one degree to go and there is no way I can opt out of grad school. :) As to whether or not you will see B&B...we will have to see...

**Rankor01: **As much as I tried to emphasize the idea that both Carolyn and David played a pivotal role in Sweets' life, I will confess that a major theme of this story is the bond between father and son. David and Lance were completed and were made better people from knowing each other and I wanted to sum that up in the last chapter...I agree about the strength you mentioned, and I do believe that B&B and the others subconsciously sensed this strength and that is part of the reason he slowly gained their respect...especially Booth...I think you nailed a key problem that I see Sweets suffering from as far as the other characters and perhaps the audience in general. I do think that if they could see more of his heart, they would get a better perspective on him.

**Super Ario: **Sorry. :( Does it help to say that no one else is going to die in this fic?

**D: **See, I do think the close proximity of his parents' deaths is a huge part of what made this so difficult for Sweets and what made him seek out some other kind of family. Especially since, as you said, he was close with both of them, but he was closer yet to David. But a lot of what I sensed about these circumstances was the need for his parents to reunite sooner rather than later and thus, I believe his father's passing to be a very peaceful one despite the sorrow it probably produced in Sweets.

**Lives in the now: **When thinking about how heartbreaking it had to have been to lose both parents so close together, I wanted to give Sweets a bit of closure to carry with him. Granted, a protracted farewell is still a farewell, but I think it would have given him a sense of peace that he would end up depending on for the next couple of years...They will be missed as living characters, but don't be surprised if they pop up now and again in my work. :)

**Fearlee: **Yes, sadly the end is mostly the saddest part of this whole fic. :( But if it makes you feel any better, this story will end on a positive note.

**Peanutmeg: **It has been a lot of fun building this world through what little we know from canon. I hope you will enjoy this chapter as well.

**Rex01: **Yes, I made the decision early on to stick to canon, and since I know how well versed you are with Mayhem...yeah you could see it coming. And you weren't wrong about the angst, but things will look up a little...

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 6

After about an hour of solitary mourning, Lance was able to pull himself together enough to call for an ambulance and to follow it to the hospital where David was officially declared dead.

While he was waiting for this announcement, Lance was asked to fill out yet another round of forms and then was left to wait for what seemed like hours. As he sat in the mostly empty room, the psychologist could not shake the feeling that this was some kind of cruel punishment for not having brought his father to the hospital in time. Nevertheless, Lance was eventually able to remind himself that this was all procedure and that the staff was just doing their jobs. It helped…marginally.

The doctor came out to inform Lance of his father's death, and the psychologist asked him what the cause had been.

"We can't be 100% sure without an autopsy," the physician said. "But as near as we can tell, it was natural causes. He probably died in his sleep and felt no pain, if that is any comfort to you."

"A little," Lance lied. "Thank you doctor."

The doctor then guided Lance to the room that held his father's body so he could see him one last time before leaving. By this point, Lance's tears had dried up and all he was left with was a persistent ache in his heart, a pain he feared was only going to grow worse over time.

The psychologist walked into the cold sterile room, his father lying on a table toward the center of the space. Lance shivered at how much this setting made David's body into an object and not as the remains of the wise, loving parent he had spent most of his life idolizing.

Despite his dread, the push of familial love and duty compelled the psychologist to walk over to say his goodbyes again. He stood over David and took his hand, gripping it tight in spite of its growing stiffness.

"Goodbye Dad," he murmured. "I love you."

Lance bent down and kissed his father on the cheek, pausing after he was done for a few moments of silence before leaving the room in a daze.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Lance was able to drive himself home. Once he was inside, however, he was at a loss to know what to do next.

'_I…I have to let other people know,' _he told himself. '_I'll need to contact the funeral home…again. Send out an obituary to the paper…again.'_

As these thoughts ran through his brain, Lance felt faint, his legs becoming unsteady. He soon realized that he would have to do everything he did after Carolyn's death again…in fact he would have to do even more since this time David was not here to help with any of the burden.

'_I'll have to tell all those people…all those people that my father is gone now…I don't want to do it this time. I don't want to go through this again.'_

The psychologist sank down to his knees onto the tiled floor of the foyer.

'_But I have to. I have to do it. No one else can do it because no one else is here. I'm on my own.'_

'_Alone.'_

Lance fell over to his side and curled into a fetal position. He thought about getting up once in a while, but instead ended up spending the rest of day and night there.

* * *

The next morning, Lance finally found the strength to get up again and face the day ahead of him.

He started out by doing even more housework, including stripping the sheets from his father's bed and disposing of them before cleaning up the room. After he was finished, he took a shower, changed and went to make his first round of phone calls and appointments.

'_I have to do this,' _he said to himself. '_My father deserves to have a proper burial and to have his final wishes carried out.'_

Determined, Lance made sure to put on one of his best suits and steadied himself before getting started on his numerous tasks.

* * *

The next couple of days became a blur to Lance as hours were only broken up by the next appointment he needed to make or the next chore he needed to do.

He met with the staff at the funeral home who had been in charge of Carolyn's services and it was agreed that they would bury David right next to Carolyn with a new double headstone being placed at the center of the two graves. Since many of the arrangements were nearly identical to the ones made for his mother, Lance found that he could go through these meetings on auto-pilot for the most part. The same turned out to be true when dealing with the hospital and the insurance company.

When he was at home, Lance ate and slept whenever he remembered to do so. Such matters seemed like an afterthought that only delayed his new routine of grueling hours spent in the business of burying and saying goodbye to the two people he loved most in the world.

* * *

Soon the matter of David's estate came up and David's old friend and co-worker, Jack came to take Lance to meet with the lawyer who often acted as a legal consultant with his father's old firm and who was handling David's estate, a Mr. Cartwright.

"Well Lance," the lawyer said. "You father thought about a traditional will, but decided to place everything into an elaborate trust instead. This means you will get to avoid practically all of the probate issues….I can read the legalese to you, but what it boils down to is this: other than a small fund David established for your cousin, Peter, you get everything. The house, David's investments, all his cash and bonds. It's all yours now. I have sent a letter to your cousin along with a letter that David had written himself for Mr. Peter Sweets, so I would like to know if you have any questions for me."

"Um, I have a place in DC," Lance mumbled. "I was thinking of selling the house to pay, you know…bills. And I think I still have some student loans that need to be…."

"Lance, you don't owe any money," Cartwright told him. "The insurance policy will cover any final expenses. As for your student loans…David made arrangements with me about a year ago to pay them off. You have no debt."

"David had a feeling that you would sell the house too, if anything happened to him," Jack added. "We talked about this recently, and in fact, I have a possible offer for you. I have a nephew who has recently moved here from New York to join our firm. He has a wife and a son with another child on the way, and he's expressed a desire to move out of the city. I showed him pictures of your place, and he said that if it became available, he'd like to make an offer."

"That's…great," Lance said hesitantly unsure of what else to say.

'_Dad planned for this? Did he…did he think he was going to die soon all along?'_

"If you do decide to sell, our firm would be happy to help you place the equity into some safe, long-term investments," Jack said. "It can become part of your trust."

"Wait, just how big is this trust?" the psychologist asked.

"Well Lance, here is the exact dollar amount of the current value of your trust," the lawyer said, placing a form in front of him. "And I can tell you that with the way your father set up his investments, you would not have to work again for the rest of your life, provided you try to live somewhat modestly. Things might be a bit tight for you if you decide to stay in a high cost of living area like DC and tried to live solely on this income, but even then it would take you a number of years to exhaust it."

Lance looked at the figures and collapsed back against his chair, stunned. He had known for a long time that his parents had means as evidenced by the way they were able to pay for his private schooling, his psychiatrist and by the fact that they made it so he never needed or wanted for anything. But he had no idea that David and Carolyn had set aside such a sizable fund.

"Lance, this is what your parents wanted," Jack told him. "They wanted to make sure that you would have the means to live your life however you choose without having to worry about financial security. They knew you would be responsible with this trust and wanted to give you the chance to make your life choices based on your own dreams and ambitions."

The psychologist bowed his head while gripping the armrests on his chair. His parents' gift had overwhelmed him with its generosity, but the last thing he wanted to do was to start weeping in front of people he considered acquaintances.

"There's not a whole lot more we need to do here," Cartwright said. "I just need you to read over some documents and then sign them. Feel free to ask me or Jack here any questions you have about anything while you're doing this."

"Lance, do you need a glass of water, or something?" Jack asked.

"A glass of water would be good. Thank you," Lance said his head still down. As he waited for the water, the psychologist continued to work on regaining his composure so he could finish his job here. Once the glass was in his hand, he took several long swallows, the ice sliding down and striking his lips slightly. He then took a deep breath and picked up the first document and studied it carefully.

'_I have to focus because this needs to be done right. Mom and Dad worked their whole lives to give me this gift. I have to know what I'm doing so that I don't squander it.'_

Using techniques he had learned through meditation, Lance cleared his mind and then spent the next three hours learning everything he could about the inner workings of David's trust before signing anything.

* * *

After Lance finished at the lawyer's office, he stopped by a local bookstore and picked out some books on personal finance and investing and made a mental note to read them whenever he had spare time over the next few days.

Once he got home, however, he knew that there was one task that would have to take precedence: informing all of David's family and friends who did not already know about his passing.

The psychologist dumped his bag of books onto the couch in the family room and went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He then poured himself a mug of it and sat down at the dining room table to drink it. While he sipped, he thought about the long list of people he would need to notify and tried to remember where he had stored all of the contact information in his father's study.

As he thought about this, he soon realized that he did not have enough cards and stamps left over from when Carolyn had passed and was frustrated at the prospect of having to go back out.

'_I should get to that today though. In fact I should have started yesterday. It's going to take a while for some of these notes to reach people. I shouldn't put it off any longer.'_

'_After all, who else is going to do it?'_

Suddenly, Lance picked up his half empty cup and threw it against the wall with all his might. He could see the amber-colored liquid splatter in all directions and then drip down the wall and could hear the shards of ceramic shatter against the linoleum, but it all felt like a dream. Confused by what he had done, he shuffled to the kitchen and grabbed a towel before walking over to the mess on the floor and kneeling down.

'_Why did I do that?' _he kept asking himself as he began to clean up the mess. '_Why was I so…angry?'_

Lance was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't even notice it when one of the shards cut a thin line of red into his index finger. He simply continued to clean as best he could while it bled a little.

'_I'm not mad at Mom and Dad. I'm not. I love them and I miss them. It's not their fault that they…that they….'_

Lance shook his head and placed all his focus onto what he was doing, shaking his head in an effort to clear it. He could not afford to dwell on his feelings right now. There was too much that still needed to be done. If he flew apart, there would be no one to take care of the arrangements for the funeral and wake, and no one who could make sure that all of his father's affairs were in order.

After cleaning up the pieces of mug and puddle of coffee, Lance made a quick trip to get the things he needed and then spent the rest of the night dutifully making out cards and letter to all of the people he wouldn't be able to contact by phone or who probably wouldn't be able to attend the services.

* * *

The next two days were filled with activity, but still managed to move at a crawl from Lance's perspective. The funeral arrangements turned out to be even more time-consuming than what he remembered from Carolyn's passing and it occurred to the psychologist every once in a while that David had probably been more involved than Lance had given him credit for.

'_Or maybe it's just easier to go through this when you have someone with you who is in the same situation and who shares your feelings,' _he thought glumly.

Disgusted with the idea that he was starting lapse into an excessive self-pity; the psychologist pushed those thoughts, along with almost all of his other emotions, aside as best he could. The result was that Lance felt disoriented and detached from the world for most of the hours of the day.

He soon finished up contacting everyone about David's death and started to check on all the last minute details like flowers for the services and food for the wake.

The psychologist also began the task of taking care of his parents' things. David and Carolyn had collected many antique pieces and quality things and Lance figured that it was time to let these items bring some joy to other households. After picking out a few things to keep for himself, he worked on selling and donating practically everything that was stored in closets, drawers and bookcases, mainly leaving the furniture alone for now.

Lance was somewhat surprised that it didn't disturb him more to see his childhood home get dismantled piece by piece, but accepted the fact that he was unable to feel much more than numb these days and decided that it would have to do for now.

When he wasn't working on these chores, he spent hours poring over his finance books with a fervor that was reminiscent of the time he spent in grad school. By the time he had another meeting with Cartwright, Lance had amassed so much knowledge that the lawyer could not help but be impressed.

* * *

Four days after David's death, Jack's nephew and his family came by to look at the house. Unable to find time to pull himself away from his chores, Lance holed up in his father's study and waited for them to leave. After a while though, he could not resist the urge to see the people who would be buying his old home, and he opened the door slightly to peek downstairs.

There he saw Jack talking to a man who Lance assumed was his nephew. Nearby was a woman whose abdomen was swelling from her unborn child sitting next to a small boy, who was playing with a hand-held video game. Lance gave a wistful smile at the scene.

'_They look like a nice family. Kind of like what we were…At least to us anyway.'_

'_Not always to others.'_

The psychologist's smile disappeared, and he retreated back into the study, closing the door behind him. His father's words about him being his son and about the three of them being a family was still imprinted into his brain, and he knew that he would never doubt the bond he shared with his parents for the rest of his life. But he still hated how so many people who were close to his parents saw him as an outside instead of as family.

Overwhelmed, Lance dropped down onto the floor and put his head into his hands. David's funeral was scheduled for the day after tomorrow and that knowledge filled him with anxiety.

'_I already said goodbye to Mom twice…The same with Dad…I don't want to go through that again…I can't.'_

Rocking back and forth in place, Lance gasped for air as he tried to rein in his sorrow lest he spiral into depression. He had been able to keep his emotions locked away for the past few days, but he now felt himself losing that control.

'_I can't…but I have to. I have to go to Dad's funeral. It wouldn't be right if I didn't. I love him…and he deserves to have a final farewell from his only son.'_

The psychologist continued to try to take a full breath while his eyes burned and his nose began to run. Even though he knew that he would be going to the funeral, his heart felt like it was turning inside out at the prospect of attending another gathering filled with grieving people comforting each other…with no comfort for him. During Carolyn's funeral, Lance had been able to draw some solace from his father's presence, but this time there would be no support like that. Plus, if that funeral was any indication of how this funeral would turn out, Lance knew what lay ahead of him: brief condolences from a few of his parents' friends and neighbors and little else.

He would be alone.

'_Just like I was before….before Mom and Dad made me a part of their lives. Alone. Alone, because I'm no longer needed or wanted.'_

Lance squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying to hold back his tears, still afraid of what would happen if he were to break down now. He then wrapped his arms around his waist.

'_Please,' _he begged silently, not really knowing who he was supposed to be pleading with. '_Please help….Please help me.'_

"Lance?"

Lance was startled at the voice calling him and fell backward onto the floor. He then looked up at the doorway, his eyes barely able to focus, to see a familiar figure standing there.

"Peter?" he warbled. Lance heard footsteps as the figure walked over to him.

"It's me, Lance," Peter said as he knelt down beside him. "I got here as soon as I could after Elizabeth told me what happened to Aunt Carolyn. And…and Jack just told me what happened to Uncle David. Lance I…I'm so sorry."

The soldier put an arm around his cousin's shoulders.

"I know this is kind of a stupid question," Peter added, tears visible in his own eyes. "But are you all right?" Lance slumped against him as his tears leaked out.

"No," he cried. "No, I'm not."

Peter nodded and embraced Lance tightly, letting his cousin bury his face against his shoulder while he wept.

"Ok Lance, ok," he said quietly. "Go ahead and let it out. I'm here now, and I promise you that it's going to get better."


	72. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 7

Author's Note: Next chapter. At this rate, I will finish posting this fic by either this weekend or Monday of next week.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Fearlee: **Well if it makes you feel any better, I think you'll find the rest of this fic to be more wistful than depressing...

**Super Ario: **I already think that it's kind of cruel of the writers to have Sweets' parents die so close together, so I didn't really want to dump anything else onto him...And yeah, I always enjoying pulling in Peter whenever I can. I really wish Sweets had a relative like this on the show...As to where this takes place, it is supposed to be within a two hour radius of Washington DC (by car). Beyond that, I didn't want to be anymore specific...in case canon decides yet again to throw a monkey wrench into things...

**D: **To be honest, I was a little sad that I had brought back such vivid memories, but I'm hoping that it's more cathartic than depressing. The funny thing is that, I could also see Sweets feeling alone even if Peter had been there the entire time through all this. Either way though, I did think that now was a good time for him to show up...besides the idea that I think he would want to show up since that is the type of person that he is.

**Fatewalker: **Considering how cruel the circumstances already were, I thought it would be nice if someone was there for Sweets during all this...I will be sure to PM you some time this week so we can work out our discussion.

**Rankor01: **I know that it's never explicitly said, but I get the feeling that Sweets has the means to live "comfortably" as a professional and bachelor living in DC and David's gift to him would explain that a lot. It explains why he was able to live on a much smaller salary of a piano player during those missing seven months without seemingly much discomfort...I agree with you that Sweets' decision to stay in DC and not run off to be a pearl diver had far less to do with the money and far more to do with his own personal issues and turmoil. Plus, if Daisy had "persuaded" him to give up the vocation that he seems to use as one of his defining personal traits, I think it only would have led to even more heartbreak all around...I agree that Peter is a good influence on Sweets, and I figured that an entirely plausible reason why we never see any of Sweets' extended adoptive family is for the very reason that Peter is the only one left who truly accepts him.

**Lives in the now: **Thank you. Again, I was hoping that the recollections would be more reflective than painful. This part of Sweets' story is one that I think isn't considered enough when contemplating his character and thus, I really wanted to evoke how it probably was for him right before we meet him on Bones...I agree that Peter does have a knack for showing up when he is needed the most. :)

**Peanutmeg: **Thank you for the review. That somewhat disturbing, detached feeling of being on auto-pilot is a lot like the one I had when my grandmother passed away, so I figured it would be even more so for Sweets in this situation. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 7

The two of them ended up staying that way on the floor of David's study for about two hours before Peter finally let his cousin go. By the end of it, Lance felt drained, but immensely thankful for the release.

They moved downstairs to the family room, and Lance rested on the couch while Peter dropped off his things in the guest room, freshened up, and ordered pizza for them to share as dinner. After all that was done, and the pizza arrived, Lance and Peter sat on the couch while they ate it.

"You know, Mom would have been appalled at the two of eating here like this," Lance mused in between bites.

"I think she would have been willing to make an exception," Peter said with a slight smile. "Considering the circumstances and all."

The psychologist nodded in agreement and went back to finishing his slice.

"So the services for Uncle David are coming up?" Peter asked before biting into a bread-stick.

"Yeah, the day after tomorrow," Lance said. "I called Elizabeth. She and Aunt Kate are coming, just so you'll know." Peter winced, but showed no other sign of discomfort.

"Good," the soldier said. "I wish I could have come for Aunt Carolyn's funeral, but at least I won't miss this one."

"Oh and tomorrow we should stop by Mr. Cartwright's office," Lance added. "He's Dad's lawyer. I know he sent you a letter about some fund Dad set up, but considering how mail is for you, you probably haven't gotten it yet. Anyway, he'll have some papers he'll want you to sign, and I can give you the specifics about the fund if you need to know."

"Sure, that's fine," Peter said. "But…how do you know so much about it?"

"I uh…I went over all that stuff with the lawyer," Lance shrugged. "And I've been brushing up on that sort of stuff. It's no big deal. Dad would have wanted me to be careful with my inheritance."

"And the funerals?" Peter asked. "Aunt Carolyn's and Uncle David' funerals? Did you handle all of that on your own too?" Sweets stuffed the rest of pizza crust into his mouth and fidgeted while he chewed.

"Well…Dad took Mom's death kind of hard," Lance said after swallowing. "I…I tried to give him the space he needed to grieve, even though he did help me some. And then when Dad…There wasn't really anyone else to do all this. I am their only child, and it's not like there are a lot of relatives close by."

Lance watched as Peter put down the pizza slice in his hand, his eyes growing sad, and immediately felt guilt welling up inside him.

"It's no big deal, really," the psychologist repeated. "I was just doing what needed to be done."

"Lance…you had both of your parents pass away in the span of less than a month and you had to handle every aspect of their funerals," Peter said. "That's a horrible thing to go through, even with family and friends supporting you...and you had to do it alone. You shouldn't have had to go through something like that."

"I…I…"

"Listen to me," the soldier cut in. "When my father died…we were all devastated, but we were not alone. Elizabeth and I had each other, and Mom had the two of us. Plus, a bunch of Dad's German relatives worked with Mom to make all the arrangements for his funeral. Even with all that help, I remember how hard it was for us. But you…you kept it together and did this on your own."

Peter slung his arm around his cousin's shoulders and patted his back.

"Your parents would have never wanted you to endure that," he said. "But they would also be very proud of you and your strength."

"Strength?" Lance scoffed. "What strength?"

"Inner strength, Whiz Kid," Peter replied. "The kind that gives you the courage to get through all this. The kind that makes it so you still have a caring heart, despite all the stuff life has thrown at you. You don't give up, and that's a battle that I've seen a lot of people, who might seem to have more strength than you on the outside, lose in the end."

Peter gave Lance's shoulder once last squeeze before moving his arm and picking up another slice of pizza from the box. When he saw that Lance was not joining him in eating, he frowned.

"Lance?"

"Not a caring heart," the psychologist mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, setting the food off to the side. Lance shook his head.

"I…Ever since Dad died…once in a while…I get so…angry," he said. "I get mad at Dad for making me do all this. I get mad at Mom for leaving us the way she did. And I get mad at both of them for abandoning me." Lance swiped at hot tears that had started to drip down his face.

"It wasn't like they asked to die when they did," he continued. "Or that they somehow chose to leave me alone. But I still…I feel so much anger and hurt sometimes." The psychologist's tears increased and he slouched away from his cousin, his face becoming red.

"Some good heart," Lance nearly snorted. "Mom and Dad loved me and gave me their whole hearts, and this is how I respond to their loss: by focusing on how much it hurt me."

Lance hung his head even lower, ashamed to look his cousin in the eye. Seconds after he stopped talking, however, he felt Peter take him firmly by the arms and turn him to face him. When he looked up, Lance almost gulped at the sight of the intense emerald glint in Peter's eyes, a look that David would always get whenever he wanted his son to listen carefully.

"Lance, listen to me," Peter said, his tone firm. "It's ok to get angry at your parents for dying, all right? It does not mean that you are a bad person or that you didn't love them. It happens." The soldier relaxed his grip, his eyes becoming somber.

"After Dad's funeral…I was pretty broken up over it," he said. "All I could do was miss him for the first few days. But then I started to think about how…unfair it all was. I mean, I was only nine, Elizabeth was six. We were a young family. And my classmates and Elizabeth's classmates…they all still had their fathers. I wondered why we were singled out. Then one day Mom came home from the store to find me yelling and throwing all of our pictures of Dad against the wall. She was upset about it, but she understood it. She even held me when I started to cry."

The soldier let go of his cousin's arms, and Lance felt about two inches tall for making Peter relive this time period in his life.

"Peter I…"

"I wish that I could say that I stopped being angry after that, but I can't," Peter added. "When Mom moved back to the US, leaving our home in Germany, I got mad at Dad all over again, because I knew that a large portion of why I had to leave my friends, my school, and most everything I knew was because he had died. And unfortunately, I took some of that anger out on you. I don't know if I'll ever stop regretting that."

"Peter no," Lance said. "I forgave you for that a long time ago. You were a kid who was hurting. I mean, it's not like I was any better off when I was fourteen." The psychologist put his hand on his cousin's forearm and squeezed.

"You've been like a brother to me for years now," he said. "You've made it up to me so many times over, and you have no idea how much having you here is helping me get through this."

"Thanks Whiz, Kid," Peter grinned. "But what I'm trying to tell you is that what you're feeling: it's just fine. All of it is. There's no 'right' or 'proper' set of emotions for you to have."

"I guess so," Lance shrugged. "I really should have known that myself, having spent years studying human behavior and all."

"Yeah well, it's hard to keep that perspective when it's your own heart," Peter said. "Cut yourself some slack, Lance. No one is going to expect you to have all the answers all of the time."

Lance nodded and the two of them went back to eating quietly. When they reached the end of their meal, all that was left was the remnants of some half-eaten crusts and a mostly empty cardboard box. Peter got up to dispose of the box and when he came back he found Lance staring at some framed pictures sitting on a nearby bookcase.

"Peter?"

"What is it?" the soldier asked as he sat back down on the couch.

"Does it get any easier?" Lance asked. "Does it ever stop hurting so much?" Peter leaned back against the couch and stretched his legs out in front of him while letting out a deep sigh.

"In a way, yes," he responded. "Will you ever stop missing them? No, I doubt it. It's been years, and I still miss my father. Does that ache you feel now ever disappear? No, and I don't know if it really should. That's just how it is with the people in our lives who are able to make a place in our hearts."

Peter shifted his position and drew his legs back toward the couch.

"But what I think you'll find is that those feeling will evolve over time," he continued. "One day, you'll remember a funny story that your father told you, and you'll laugh. Or you'll smell some freshly baked cookies, and it will take you back to afternoons spent watching your mother in the kitchen. You'll tell someone about a birthday party you had, a summer trip you took once, or some other childhood misadventure, and you'll feel nostalgic instead of sad. And when you do those things, your memories will change from something painful, to something bittersweet and eventually into something comforting that you will carry with you for the rest of your life."

"I hope you're right," Lance said quietly.

"Trust me on this, Lance," his cousin said. "It may not work that exact way for you, but overall it will happen eventually. I…I know that's how it was for me."

"Peter, thank you," Lance said. "And thank you for being here."

"No problem, Whiz Kid," Peter smiled again. "After all, what is family for?"

* * *

The next day Lance and Peter worked together to finish up the last-minute details of both the funeral services and the wake. They then dropped by the lawyer's office so that Peter could sign some forms. Throughout this, Lance still struggled with a burden of sadness weighing down on his soul, but his cousin's presence made it much more bearable than when he was alone.

The two of them were finished with their tasks by late afternoon, and they made the decision to take the rest of the day off to catch up with each other. They took a long walk along the downtown streets before settling into Lance's favorite local bar for some drinks.

"So, you just made sergeant?" Lance said as he took a swig of his beer. "That's awesome, Peter."

"Thank you. It wasn't easy though, I can tell you that," Peter said ruefully. "But what about you? Twenty-two years old and you're going to be a profiler and shrink for the FBI."

"Looks like we've both accomplished a lot here recently," Lance smiled. They finished their beers in silence, and Peter ordered another round, after which, the psychologist cleared his throat.

"Peter, I'm really sorry…about the whole thing with Aunt Kate and Elizabeth being there tomorrow," he said. "I know that things have not been very cordial between you recently and that that might be an awkward situation."

"Don't worry about it," Peter said. "I can deal with it. So can they. Besides, tomorrow isn't about us. It's about Uncle David and the great man that he was."

"He was a great man," Lance said solemnly. "I'll never forget him or the things he taught me."

"As it should be," Peter nodded as he brought his next beer up to his lips. "He and Aunt Carolyn will always be standing by your side in spirit. It's probably impossible to feel that now, but you will know it yourself eventually."

* * *

David's funeral turned out to be an even more somber affair than Carolyn's had. Lance recognized many of the same faces gathering around again, their sorrow even more palpable this time around. Many of David's co-workers and friends, who had known him for years, stood up in front of everyone and shared a few words about him.

Soon the services moved to the grave-site itself, and after the priest said his prayers, Lance and Peter walked up, a white rose in each of their hands. The two of them walked over to the coffin, side-by-side with a brotherly solidarity that Lance appreciated in this moment. They both laid their flowers down, after which a glance of understanding passed between them. Lance then reached over and placed his hand back onto the coffin lid, a prayer of his own running through his brain.

'_Goodbye Dad. I miss you and I love you. But I'm going to try to be the person you always thought I could be. I will be strong, I promise.'_

Lance moved his hand away and let his cousin guide him back to where they were standing before so they could watch the others in attendance pay their respects. The sun beat down on them with a sickly grey light, but an oppressive heat. The psychologist barely noticed it, even as sweat rolled down the collar of his shirt. The sensation only re-enforced his feelings of dread and of being trapped in a place he did not want to be in.

The wake started immediately after the funeral, and many of David's friends gave Lance their condolences and wished him well in his future endeavors. The event went smoothly until the very end when Elizabeth and Kate finally met up with him.

Elizabeth gave Lance a brief, stiff embrace while Kate said nothing, her eyes boring right into Lance's.

"We are very sorry about this," Elizabeth said as she let him go. "I know that the three of you loved each other like family."

"That's because Lance _is_ family, Liz," Peter said, showing up from behind the psychologist. "Please don't forget that."

"It's good to see you, Peter," Elizabeth said before embracing him next. "Glad you could make it."

"Likewise," Peter nodded. "It's good to see you and Mom too."

Kate gave the barest of nods, her eyes still set on the psychologist's face. There was a moment of tense silence that was suddenly and violently broken up when Kate walked over to Lance soundly slapped him across the face.

"Mother!" Peter gasped, moving to stand between her and his cousin. "What are you doing?"

"You," Kate spat, not wavering in her gaze. "You just had to meddle. It wasn't your concern, but you just had to stick your nose in and give your opinions, didn't you? You're the one who encouraged my son to throw away a good, stable life to go fight other people's wars."

Lance said nothing as he held his cheek, the skin still stinging. He knew that this was a battle that he could never win, and he was just glad that almost all the other guests had left so there was really no one to see this.

Peter drew himself up to his full height, his expression taking on a demeanor he usually reserved for when he was giving orders to his men.

"This was my decision and my decision alone, Mom," the soldier said, his voice stern and commanding. "Dad would have understood and supported it, and you know it. This is not the time or the place to have this discussion."

Kate opened her mouth as if to say more, but abruptly stopped, as if she had snapped out of some kind of spell. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Oh Peter," she choked as she held out her hand next to her son's cheek. A moment later she turned away and buried her face in her hands.

"Elizabeth," she said. "I need to go home now."

"All right, Mom," Elizabeth nodded. Kate walked away and Elizabeth turned back toward Peter and Lance.

"I'm sorry for that Lance, Peter," she said. "Mom is taking all this very hard." She then turned her back to leave when Peter took a step forward.

"Elizabeth," he said to her back. "Take care of Mom."

"I will," she said quietly, without turning around. "Thank you." She walked away and after she left, Peter turned toward Lance and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Lance, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I am," the psychologist shrugged. "At least there weren't a lot of people here to make a scene."

"I am so sorry that happened," Peter said. "Please don't take anything she says to heart."

"It's ok, Peter," Lance said, straightening his posture and tugging at his tie. "It's like you said: people get upset when they are grieving and there is no right way to do this. I shouldn't let it get to me."

Peter smiled at him, his eyes shining with a combination of affection and pride.

"That's right, Lance," he said. "You know, you're going to be a great shrink."


	73. Year Seventeen, Separation, part 8

Author's Note: Next chapter. There will be an epilogue after this and that will be the end. Hard to believe but true.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you as always to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**TimeWitch93: **I know what you mean. I've been working on this for so long, it's hard to fathom it coming to an end at times. But as they say, all good things...And yes, unfortunately, not all of David and Carolyn's relatives are as open and kind as Peter, but I'm sure Sweets is grateful to have one "big brother" to help him through times like this.

**Lives in the now: **Grief is a complex thing, I agree, and Sweets is learning first-hand how complex it can be...I would love for canon to give Sweets a cousin or some other relation from his adopted family. :) It's just too bad that they probably wouldn't be like Peter simply because he might be seen as being too much like Booth.

**Rankor01: **Despite the somber emotions and situation I gave Sweets in regards to his uncle's family, I think it's interesting to watch the eventual role reversal this portion of the Sweets family has evolved toward. At first it was Peter who was the most despised, but now it's the rest of them. It was a purposeful way to show the dangers of not allowing oneself to grow and open the heart to those who join your family...Sadly I have seen first-hand where people look for a scapegoat to avoid focusing on their own feelings and thus why Kate lashed out the way she did...The fact that Peter had also lost a parent made him a good fit to help Sweets process his own loss to me as well.

**Fearlee: **Thank you. I know you've been following this one for a while and I agree that it's weird to think about it ending. But I hope you enjoy how I am going to wrap this all up.

**Peanutmeg: **Thank you for the review. There's not much left to go, so I hope you enjoy the last couple of updates.

**D: **I agree completely with your assessment of Kate and her actions. Also, it explains why Sweets might have felt so displaced and alone by the time he met B&B: he did not have much of a family left by that point since only Peter could truly be called family by then...I also agree that Peter will act as the bridge between Sweets' two families: both of who were not related by blood but who welcomed and cared for him just the same.

Year Seventeen—Separation—part 8

A couple of days later, Lance accompanied his cousin to the airport. Peter was due to fly back to a base in the Middle East and would be staying in Afghanistan for about six months. After that he would go back to Europe for at least a year.

As he walked beside Peter, Lance felt a weight pressing down on his heart. Not only was he concerned about Peter's safety, but he could not deny how unhappy he was at the prospect of not seeing his cousin again for almost two years.

They eventually reached the gate where Peter's flight was boarding and they sat down to wait in the row of chairs nearby. After only talking for about an hour, the flight attendant announced the upcoming departure, and the two of them stood up. The psychologist watched as Peter checked his carry-on bag one more time, marveling at how imposing the soldier seemed in his Army fatigues.

"Looks like I'm all set to go," his cousin said. Peter then embraced Lance tightly. "You take care of yourself, Lance."

"Should I be telling you that?" Lance tried to smile as his cousin let him go. "You're the one who's heading off into the line of fire." Peter smiled back and placed a hand on the psychologist's shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said. "I know how to take care of myself out there. We'll see each other again before too long. Just remember that…remember that no matter how it might appear on the surface, you are not alone. And you never will be."

"I'll remember," Lance said. "I promise." Peter grinned and patted his shoulder a couple times before stooping down to pick up his bag.

"I'll contact you as soon as I can, so you'll know how to keep in touch with me," the soldier said as he walked away. "And hey, don't forget: if you ever need me, just let me know and I'll be here as soon as I can."

"I know," Lance said, waving. "Goodbye Peter."

"Goodbye Lance," Peter said. "I'll be seeing you."

Peter walked through the gate, and Lance walked over to the window to watch his plane. The psychologist stood there and did not move until the plane had taken off and eventually became a white speck in a clear sky before disappearing altogether.

* * *

The next week was busy but uneventful as far as Lance was concerned. He had cleared out everything from his parents' house by holding estate sales and donating what was left. Before any of that though, he made sure to keep a few things for himself and had the furnishings and items sent to his apartment in DC and spent a day moving it all in. His apartment was far less barren now, and the psychologist found some comfort in being surrounded by familiar objects from his childhood home.

Lance called his superiors at the Bureau to let them know that he would be coming back to work next week. He was thankful that the Bureau was still looking forward to his return and made the decision to work as hard as possible for a long while to repay their understanding during all of this.

He quickly finished the sale of his home to Jack's nephew and worked out an arrangement to have the equity left over from taxes and fees into his trust.

On the day that Jack was to come and collect the keys from Lance, the psychologist showed up early and took one last walk around the house. With the house empty, his footsteps echoed as he went his mind imaging all of the things that was missing now back into their places. He went to every room, pausing each time to reminisce over the moments he shared with his parents, and was pleased to find that his memories were mostly happy ones.

After standing for a few moments longer in his old room, Lance heard the sound of a car door outside and he knew it was time to leave.

He made his way downstairs and handed over the keys to Jack after opening the front door, spending as little time as possible doing it. Lance was experiencing a confusing crush of emotions right now, and he wanted to leave as soon as he could so that he could be alone while he worked through them.

Lance got into his car and took off down the road after giving the house one last look. His things were in the trunk, and he planned on returning to DC that day.

There was, however, one last thing he needed to do.

* * *

After a quick stop at a florist, Lance pulled his car into the cemetery and walked over to his parents' graves. Even though the area was still covered with flowers and other objects from friends and family, Lance was glad that he could add his own personal bouquet of flowers to the mix. He placed the flowers gingerly onto the fresh, loose dirt and then sat down on the ground beside the headstone.

At this point, Lance found himself at a loss at what to do next. While not overtly religious, he had known since he was a child that David and Carolyn held a strong belief in God. They had never pressured him to follow in their beliefs and it wasn't until he was an adult that Lance realized how much he appreciated the opportunity they had given him to formulate his own belief system in regards to spiritual matters.

But as an adult, Lance found that he still could not commit to one line of spiritual thought and was still looking for his answers. On one hand, his parents' kind, loving, charitable natures certainly gave credence to the notion of a divine spirit inspiring the best in people. On the other hand though, the life he had lived and the evil he had come into contact with more than once put a very large specter of doubt into his brain that any sort of benevolent higher power could exist.

The psychologist drew his knees toward his chest and crossed his arms over his shins. When he started to think again about all the things David and Carolyn had told him over the years, he realized that there was one aspect of faith that he had clung to for years, and that was an unwavering belief in what his parents had tried to impress upon him from the first day they met him: that they loved him and would always be with him.

Taking on that perspective, Lance felt his heart lighten a little because he could now see what he was doing not so much as a vigil over a tomb filled with death and decay, but instead a visit to a memorial filled with memories and the spirits of the people he loved with his whole heart.

"Mom, Dad, it's me," Lance said tentatively. "I…I um…."

The psychologist moved over a little closer to the graves, not caring about the dirt and grass stains he was getting on his clothes.

"I guess I'm here to say goodbye…again," he continued. "Everything is pretty much taken care of around here, and I suppose it's time that I get back to my life and my work in DC."

Lance sighed and rubbed his eyes as they started to water up. He had already shed many tears and spent numerous hours mourning his parents' passing. He had hoped at times that there would be an end to his sorrow, but was starting to look like the process of grieving was going to be a painfully gradual one.

"I know that I've been working toward this life for a long time," he said. "This job with the Bureau, the kind of work I'm going to do and all that. But to be honest, I'm kind of scared too. Just about everyone I'll be working with is older than me, and they all seem to have it all together. I knew that it would be this way going in, but still…it's one thing to know it and a whole other thing to be living it every day."

Lance placed his hand onto the headstone over his parents' names, his palm swiftly cooling against the polished surface.

"I wish you were still here to help me and to guide me," he murmured. "But…I know that you still love me, so that will have to do. I still love you, and I promise that I will live my life the best that I can."

The psychologist rose to his feet and brushed himself off. He gave the headstone one last longing look before turning and walking away to get into his car. It wasn't a particularly long drive back to DC, but Lance wanted to give himself plenty of time.

Time not only for the physical journey, but for the spiritual one as well.

* * *

About five months later, Doctor Lance Sweets figured that he was getting close to a routine.

As he worked away at a report for one of his fellow agents, Sweets pondered how the last few months had gone.

After he had gone through two weeks of "refresher" training to further instruct him on Bureau policy and procedures, Sweets started his practice at the FBI's DC branch. Eager to integrate into his workplace as much as possible, the psychologist spent the first week at work studying and analyzing the dynamics between his co-workers.

Despite his attempts, however, Sweets found that he did not make much headway as far as developing any kind of casual relationships among his peers and had only gained some insight into the cliques that had formed in the workplace.

'_It's just like high school,' _he lamented to himself. '_Only with less elaborate rules and more fake courtesy and guns.'_

Having given up on his chances at expanding his social circle at work, Sweets threw all of his energy into his work with mixed results.

His counseling practice developed slowly. Practically every agent or pair of agents who were sent to him were under some sort of compulsory mandate to see him and thus had little enthusiasm for their sessions. Once these agents met Sweets, there was the additional problem of convincing them that he really was a licensed psychologist who could treat them. As a result, he often had to spend much of the first couple of sessions attempting to gain any kind of professional respect from his patients, most of whom had not wanted to see him in the first place.

Sweets persisted, however, despite his frustrations and doubts, and was eventually able to make progress in almost all of his patients' therapy. Once they had completed the mandated therapy, the agents rarely thanked him or even acknowledge his advice or assistance. But seeing his patients work through their problems and reach much needed epiphanies was reward enough for Sweets.

His profiling work appeared more successful on the surface, but was often less satisfying personally for Sweets. Once again, the psychologist faced the reality that he was far from his co-workers' first choice to work with and was usually a fall-back option when the other psychologists, who worked at the Hoover Building, were too swamped with assignments. As he worked on more and more cases, however, Sweets soon developed an excellent track record of uncanny insights and had provided numerous solid leads, many of which had aided in arrests and convictions. As a result, agents soon started to actively seek Sweets out for his expertise.

Even this success was somewhat tainted by the realization that the agents who worked with him viewed him as little more than a tool to be utilized and not as a professional to be respected. Each agent would deliver the files for his or her case to Sweets' secretary and would only meet with the psychologist once to go over his profile. Once in a while, an agent would begrudgingly request his assistance behind the scenes during an interrogation if the potential witness or suspect was clearly mentally disturbed, but most of the time, Sweets hardly interacted with the agents he did profiling work for.

Nevertheless, Sweets found his work to be a good balm for the loneliness that penetrated his soul, so he usually worked long hours and took on as many assignments as he could. Spending most of his days working up profiles or counseling patients became a way to avoid the nagging sense that his life held little meaning outside of his work.

Still remembering his promise to Peter and to his parents to take care of himself, Sweets tried to make sure he got at least a few hours of sleep every night along with squeezing in some meals and exercise whenever he could. In the evenings and sometimes on weekends, he made sure to give himself time to relax by reading or playing video games.

The most significant event of the past two months, however, came when Sweets finally got another girlfriend.

He had met April at a Chinese restaurant of all places. He had stopped there for a late meal and was the only one in the restaurant other than her. The service was slow and sporadic and the two of them eventually started talking to each other. When it became clear that they weren't going to get a decent meal in the restaurant they were currently in, the two of them moved to an all night diner and shared a late supper together. They ended up going on a date a couple days later and their relationship slowly progressed from there.

Initially, Sweets had been concerned about what would happen as they became more intimate, but the first night they had spent together had passed without incident even though April had seen his scars. She had never asked, and Sweets found that he wasn't particularly interested in telling her about them.

As Sweets finished up his report, he paused and stared at the screen. His relationship with April was pleasant and comforting, but little else. Still, Sweets reminded himself that it was far better than being alone.

The psychologist saved his report and instructed his secretary to make a print copy of it to give to the agent who requested it. He then moved on to the next set of files while he planned his weekend: a run, some time spent playing games and then spending another night at April's house.

It was comfortable. It was a routine. And for Sweets, it was the best way he could live his life while in the service of others.


	74. Epilogue: Year One, Introduction

Author's Note: Final chapter. I would like to thank everyone who had supported me and my work over the past year or so, especially those who have been following this fic from the beginning (or close to it). Writing this has been a lot of fun, and I hope all of my readers have enjoyed the journey.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Again, thank you to everyone who has read/favorited/followed/reviewed this. I can't thank all of you enough for supporting my first fanfic.

**Fatewalker: **Actually I am with you in thinking that there is little worse than being caught up in a comfortably numb holding pattern for life. But as you will see (and we both already know) that holding pattern will not last forever...And no, I can honestly say that I did not imagine that it would turn out like this. :) I knew going in that it would be long, and I was a little worried at times that I wouldn't be able to finish it...I certainly did not imagine writing 74 chapters and over 250,000 words! Still it was an amazing amount of fun and has given me even more confidence in my other creative/academic writing. Thank you for sticking with this one for so long.

**TimeWitch93: **To be honest, it is kind of hard for me not to consider this story when I am writing the rest of my fics. I don't know if that's a good thing. ;) As for how to wrap this up...well this chapter will go into that and then the rest, as they say, is history. Thank you for all your support over this past year.

**Rankor01: **This is something that I am kind of surprised that the writers haven't touched on more on the show: how Sweets was sure to be perceived by his co-workers at the Bureau...especially during his first year or so. I agree that Sweets might try to put a professional foot forward, but that it had to have also been wearying to endure the same types of hesitations, doubts and prejudices over and over again from his co-workers. I do think that Booth coming into his life gave Sweets to have a "mentor" of sorts and that perhaps things are a little easier for him now...But I also think that Sweets has a long way to go...Thank you for continuing to support all of my work.

**Lives in the now: **Thank you for your review and for all of your support for my work. :D I always enjoying hearing from my readers, especially ones who have been following me for a while now. It thrills me to know that you still find my work entertaining...Also I agree that B&B coming into Sweets' life was just what was needed...

**Peanutmeg: **Thank you for the review. I completely agree that Sweets is not truly the adventurous sort (despite his claims at the end of Season Five) and is prone into falling into a "safe" routine if left alone and to his own devices. Thankfully, there are those who know just how to shake him out of such routines...

Epilogue: Year One—Introduction

Director Andrew Hacker frowned at the files in front of him for the umpteenth time this evening.

Over the past few months that he was in charge of his section within the DC Bureau, he had been pleased at how Special Agent Seeley Booth had successfully created a working relationship with the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal lab. There had been many people within the FBI who had misgivings about the partnership, but so far the result had been the formation of a nearly unstoppable team with one of the highest solve rates in the Bureau.

But now it looked like all of this was about the fly to pieces.

A few weeks ago, Booth finally managed to catch up with and arrest Max Keenan for the murder of Director Kirby. The arrest in itself was nothing special beyond the fact that Max had proven to be a wily fugitive and it had taken one of their best agents to catch him.

What made this problematic was the fact that Booth's partner, Doctor Temperance Brennan, was previously known as Joy Keenan and was in fact, Max Keenan's daughter.

'_Max Keenan's daughter,' _Hacker mused. '_Who would have thought that Temperance Brennan, the world famous forensic anthropologist, had a thief and a murderer for a father?'_

Hacker sighed and flipped through the files again. He knew that there would eventually be a trial and that Booth would have to be called in to testify against Max Keenan. Despite the fact that Brennan had been very vocal in her assertion that she did not care about the result of such a trial, Hacker found the idea that her partnership with Booth would not be affected difficult to swallow.

'_I don't care how much Booth says she can compartmentalize, arresting her father is going to cause tension one way or another. I don't see how these two can continue to work together in the long run. Now they are stonewalling everyone who is trying to interview them…It's just becoming a huge mess. A mess I do not want to have to clean up. Especially now that we have this new cannibalistic serial killer to worry about. The press is already having a field day with that one….'_

Hacker closed the file he had just been scanning through and picked up another one. He thought again about the numerous requests both Booth and Brennan had submitted to be allowed continue working together and once again thought about their amazing solve rate.

Even with all of the headaches this incident was causing, Hacker was aware that it was in this office's best interest to keep this team together not only for their close rate but also because of all the good press that was generated from their work. They were a valuable asset to him…an asset that he was not willing to give up too easily.

Thus, Hacker had weighed his options and decided upon offering them a chance to prove that they could still work together by sending them to a Bureau psychologist for evaluation. Picking the right psychologist, however, was proving to be a formidable task.

He had wanted to send the two of them to see Doctor Gordon Wyatt since Wyatt had treated Booth before and had also shown some success in working with others from the Jeffersonian. But Wyatt had left on an Interpol assignment a couple of weeks ago, leaving Hacker with the unenviable chore of finding another psychologist who could handle them.

'_Booth is an excellent field agent, but it's no secret that he can be uncooperative and a real pain in the ass at times,' _Hacker thought. '_And Doctor Brennan…a fascinating, complex woman, who is good at her work, but…I'm not sure if she's the "therapy" type. Treating them is going to be a thankless, uphill battle.'_

'_Who in the world is going to want to take them on as patients?'_

As he continued to mull over this question, one of the night janitors, a tall, older-looking man, came into Hacker's office and began emptying the trash can into a larger bin.

'_Doctor Dan Wagner is a pretty conservative type, but he's one of the best we've got…and he's had a lot of experience in dealing with difficult agents,' _Hacker reasoned as he looked over the psychologist's file. '_He might not like this assignment, but he's going to have to do.'_

Suddenly the janitor stumbled and fell against the desk, knocking the files off onto the floor, including the one in Hacker's hand.

"I am terribly sorry, sir," the janitor said, his green eyes contrite.

"It's all right," Hacker responded. "It was an accident. No real harm done."

"Still, let me gather these things up for you," the man said as he stooped down to scoop up the files. The janitor swiftly arranged them into a neat pile and sat them in the center of Hacker's desk.

"Again, so sorry about that," the janitor said once he was done.

"No problem, Mr….?"

"Schuchardt," the janitor said, as he pulled his cap down over his sandy brown hair. "And I appreciate your understanding. First day on the job and all."

"Well hopefully the rest of your shift will be uneventful," Hacker said.

"I hope so," the janitor said. "Good night sir."

"Thank you," Hacker said as he turned his attention back to the files. "You have one as well."

The janitor pushed his things out of the office and into the center of the hallway. Once he had closed the door behind him, a smile appeared on the man's lips.

The janitor left his things and walked down the hallway, disappearing into the shadows. Later the cleaning crew would wonder how their things had ended up where they were now sitting, a mystery that never would be solved.

* * *

Inside the office, Hacker frowned yet again at the files in front of him. Wagner's file was no longer on top, and so he reached over to begin sifting through them when his eye happened to catch the name on the file that was now on top.

Hacker picked this file up and began to study it. The file belonged to another psychologist, who the Bureau had hired a few months ago. Considered to be a wunderkind in his field, this psychologist had already made a budding reputation for himself within the Bureau as a gifted profiler, a solicitous therapist, and a hard worker.

Hacker let out a bemused chuckle as he read through the file and once he was done he began to write up a memo for his secretary to send to this new psychologist in regards to his new assignment.

'_All right, Doctor Lance Sweets…you're so smart, let's see how you handle these two.'_

For a moment, Hacker thought about how Booth and Doctor Brennan were probably going to react when they found out who was going to be evaluating and treating them and was hit with a twinge of guilt. That quickly passed, however, and he continued to write the memo, smugly satisfied that he had found a way to solve the problem that didn't involve him taking a definite stand on the issue.

'_If they don't pass the evaluation or fall apart during therapy, then it wasn't meant to be. If they can actually keep it together and get through this, then this office gets to keep one its best crime fighting units.'_

'_Best of all: it's no longer on my head either way.'_

* * *

A few days later, Sweets sat in his office going over the files that he had been given about his newest patients. Because of their limited availability, the psychologist had to come in on a Saturday evening for this first session and that meant canceling his dinner with April. After getting a chance to get acquainted with the case, however, Sweets found that that did not bother him as much as he thought it would, and as he continued to learn about his new patients, he became even more eager and intrigued by this latest assignment.

He was so engrossed in his study of the files and in his preparation for the session, that he didn't notice a pair of figures standing just outside his office, watching him.

But to his credit, no one else in the Hoover Building could see them either.

"David, why did you do that?" Carolyn asked as she watched her son. "Why did you arrange it so that Lance would be given this assignment?"

David wrapped his arms around his wife from behind and held her close as he watched Lance take some notes.

"I don't know if I can completely explain it, but…I have a feeling about those two people who our son is about to meet," he said. "There's something about them. Something that tells me that Lance will benefit from knowing them."

"Despite everything he does, he seems so alone at times," Carolyn said. "Do you think he's going to be all right?"

"He'll be fine, Carolyn," David assured her. "Our son has a good heart and a great mind. And something tells me that it's about to get a whole lot better for him here very soon."

The two of them watched as Brennan and Booth made their way to their son's office, knocked and entered before walking away.

David and Carolyn Sweets knew that they would always love their son and would always be watching over him.

But they also knew that their time with him had come to an end and a new chapter in their son's life was about to begin.

"Good evening, Agent Booth, Doctor Brennan. My name is Doctor Lance Sweets, and I am looking forward to working with the both of you."


End file.
